


To Trick a Trickster

by Videruh



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/M, Flirting, Humor, Mild Sexual Content, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 53,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22843993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Videruh/pseuds/Videruh
Summary: Yuri Leclerc: the newest addition to Byleth’s class and currently the top trouble maker of Garreg Mach. And the hottest. As unsavory rumors begin to circulate, Byleth steps in to rein her student but ends up tangled in his shady affairs.**Slow burn F!Byleth/Yuri. Rated M for language and suggestive themes, but most likely will move up to explicit.Guest appearances from the other Ashen Wolves and main story characters, but focused mostly on Byleth and Yuri.**
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 121
Kudos: 324





	1. Sauna Gossip

**Author's Note:**

> Text between brackets will indicate dialogue between Sothis and Byleth, in Byleth’s mind. Example:
> 
> [Sothis speaking and only Byleth can hear; Byleth can answer back in her mind.]
> 
> Conversations between Sothis and Byleth in her dreams (at the throne), will be written as regular dialogue.

He hasn’t been an official student that long and he’s already such a player!” Byleth heard girls’ voices coming from the sauna as she undressed in the changing area.

“Ugh, it’s like having another Sylvain around” Ingrid added with annoyance dripping from her every word.

“Well, yes, like a Sylvain who _actually_ gets dates” Hilda giggled as Byleth entered the steamy room. “He’s such a heartbreaker!”

“Who is?” Byleth asked as she settled on the ledge next to Hilda, eyes bright with mild curiosity. She had never cared much for girl talk but, ever since becoming a professor at the academy, she started learning the “girly behavior” that she had never experienced in her mercenary years. Although, in all honesty, what Byleth enjoyed the most out of these encounters was the fact that they treated her almost like a friend.

“Why, Yuri, of course!” the pink-haired girl squealed. “Haven’t you heard?”

“Not really” the professor answered in her usual aloof tone. 

“Well, he is” Ingrid continued using the dignified tone and expression she usually reserved for dealing with Sylvain. “Not even a month in and he’s already played a fair share of girls”

“AND boys!” Hilda jumped in, causing Ingrid to look away with flaring cheeks. “Blush all you want, Ingrid, but it’s true. Yuri’s got the looks and charm to bewitch almost anyone”

“Boys and girls…” Byleth mused absentmindedly as she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, letting the steam soothe her aching muscles. Felix had been particularly eager and their sparring session ran too long. 

“Yes! Can you believe it?” Hilda leaned into her professor and cupped her hand in a classic whisper-in-your-ear gossip move. “They say he likes to go around and seduce whoever strikes his fancy. But the funny thing is that he readily performs all sorts of… ehm… _tricks_ on his dates but never lets them please him back”

“Ugh, Hilda! Too much information!” Ingrid moved to slap her across the face with a face towel, but the Goneril heiress avoided the blow without so much as a wink. Byleth wished Hilda would show the same swiftness in training as she did when gossiping. 

“But it’s true! And SO weird! Isn’t it, professor?

“Well...” Byleth found both girls gazing intently at her: the blonde with crimson cheeks and the pink-haired one with an amused grin plastered on her sweaty face. “I wouldn’t know about that. But perhaps I should have a talk with him?”

“Absolutely!” Ingrid answered fervently with the same sort of look she got whenever she talked about Loog, the king of legend. “It’s unbecoming of an academy student to engage in such behavior. We already have to deal with Sylvain and Lorenz! If he becomes another skirt chaser, he’s at risk of sullying the reputation of...”

Byleth closed her eyes again and continued listening to her students ramble about Yuri's wicked charms. He did seem to have quite the reputation already, although she wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t heard about it before. Her students trusted her with their lives but she wasn't exactly their first option for discussing these sorts of matters. 

Extending a warm towel across her face, the blue-haired professor sank further into the ledge and let the steam ease the day’s weariness away. She was on the brink of a light slumber but her mind kept summoning the vision of a pair of amethyst eyes. 

[“Yuri Leclerc…” Sothis’ voice rang clear in Byleth’s mind. “Is he really so alluring, or are we just imagining it?”]


	2. Midnight Escapade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references female Byleth's C support conversation with Yuri. In my timeline, this occurs before the start of the Death Knight appearances in the main story.

[“Sure, you promised your students you’d talk to the wild one” Sothis whispered. Byleth jumped a little, it was so silent out here that even the quiet voice in her mind was unsettling. “But are you sure this is a good idea? This just spells trouble…”]

“Cold?” Yuri whispered. Even in the dark, he could make out Byleth’s blank expression but he interpreted it as confusion. “You shivered”

“Oh” the professor shook her head instead of speaking. The less noise they made, the safer they would be. The answer satisfied Yuri and returned his attention to their task at hand.

They were currently crouching in some bushes, studying the movements of the guards in the inner garden of the manor they came here to raid. Sothis was definitely right: this whole thing was starting to look like a terrible idea. When Byleth had found Yuri sneaking out of the monastery late at night, she had expected to get the cold shoulder as she reprimanded him. She definitely didn’t imagine she would be sneaking out with him, much less to storm a thug’s hideout to steal back Yuri’s “small fortune.” But as his professor, she felt it was her responsibility to aid him and make sure he came back in one piece. That should give her enough leverage to talk him into bringing his apparently raging hormones down a notch. But looking at the number of guards they would have to get past, it looked like a potentially messy endeavor, as the Abyssian student had feared. 

Before leaving the town, Yuri’s men had given him the intel report and map of the location and it had been decided that taking the gang would just create more issues. This _had_ to be a two-man stealth mission. That, Byleth convinced the lavender-haired swordsman, would be a bigger blow on his enemies’ pride: the Scorpions’ boss taken down by just two individuals. It would also prevent as much killing as possible, but Yuri didn’t need to hear that. So here they were. 

Getting into the manor had been cakewalk given their stealth skill, but the boss’ quarters would be trickier to access. It was a small, one-storey building at the back of the inner garden. The front entrance was guarded by two armored thugs and two mercenaries. Thanks to the map they had, they knew there was a hidden passage at the back, in the narrow space between the back of the building and the stone wall of the property. That was their most obvious point of entry as long as they were able to get past the guards.

“How good is your aim?” Yuri whispered with a glint in his eyes. “With magic, I mean”

Byleth analyzed the scene: they were hidden at the far left of the garden, and the shadows were in their favor. The guards at the front entrance wouldn’t see them if they treaded carefully but there were two more lined on the side of the building, right on the path that led to their target. She scanned the area slowly, looking for an opportunity, and she found it lying against the wall. Yuri grinned when he saw realization dawning in her blue eyes; his heartbeat quickened just a bit. It wasn’t often that others picked up on his schemes so easily.

“Good enough” Byleth whispered back. Sothis’ high-pitched laughter rang in her ears.

There were some wooden crates piled against the side of the building and a large oil lamp sitting at the top. The alcohol bottles scattered around it would be a bonus, if they were not all empty. Exchanging a brief knowing look with her student, Byleth channeled a surge of magic through her hands, small enough so the summoning sigil wouldn’t be too bright and could remain hidden in the bushes. At the top of the crates, the oil lamp burst into flames, causing the bottles to shatter and spill their remaining contents on the grass and the wall, effectively spreading the fire. The guards jumped at the sudden explosion.

“What the hell’s going on?” a mercenary from the front entrance post hurried around the corner, sword in hand. He seemed to be a captain of sorts. “An attack?”

“Nah, this idiot just set the lamp too close to the whisky and the bottles exploded” one of the side guards answered pointing a finger at his partner, who looked on the verge of hyperventilating.

“Well, put it out before you wake the boss, you dim-wits! NOW! And stop drinking on patrol!”

“Yessir!”

The mercenary watched the two goons run to the opposite end of the garden to fetch some water. But the fire looked small enough and there were no signs of an ambush so he sheathed his sword and returned to his post, yelling for the two to hurry over. As soon as he rounded the corner, Byleth and Yuri made their way along the stone wall, hidden by both the shadows and the noise of the commotion, and scurried into the space behind the back of the building. Yuri quickly located the passage and pushed the covering board aside.

“Watch for traps” the Abyssian mouthed soundlessly as he palmed the floor of the entrance, carefully getting some caltrops out of the way before stepping in. Byleth followed suit, returning the board to its original position. _Clever girl_ , Yuri thought. It was much easier to sneak around with someone who actually knew how to do it, unlike most of his goons.

The room was small and very dark but Yuri had committed the map to memory. This was a disused storage room, and the door was surely locked and bolted from the outside. But that wasn’t a problem. He carefully made his way around some wooden crates and other junk, testing the stone floor with some pressure from his feet. His instructor was quite entranced watching his expert method at work. The _real_ secret entrance was somewhere around on the floor, and a soft creak gave it away as he stepped over it.

Without giving Byleth a chance to help, the lavender-haired swordsman moved a large broken dresser out of the way, slowly so as to not make too much noise, and revealed a trapdoor. _He’s strong for such a slender frame_ , the professor thought as she gave a tentative push to the piece of furniture, confirming its heaviness. 

“Very amateur cover-up, I’m disappointed” Yuri muttered as he fumbled with a sharp hairpin, trying to pick the locked contraption. Byleth grinned: of course he’d use a hairpin instead of a regular lockpick. “This leads directly to that bastard’s room. It’s his secret escape route, so there shouldn’t be any guards here”

“I’ll go first, then” Byleth decided as Yuri got the hatch open, but he halted her before she could plunge in. There was some sort of trap metal string carefully hidden on the way down, but it was no match for Yuri’s skilled fingers, which disabled it quickly. This time, the blue-eyed mercenary let him inspect the passage before going for it. 

“Looks like we’ll have to crawl” he concluded with a tinge of irritation in his voice. The damned thing was a freaking tunnel. Byleth simply shrugged and conjured a tiny fireball in her palm, thankful that she had foregone her cape tonight, and dove right in. “Remember to watch for traps”

She chuckled a little. Yuri could be quite bossy, but it was amusing rather than irritating. Unlike her other students who looked up to her for almost everything, the leader of the Ashen Wolves wasn’t afraid to show her he was far more skilled at this than she was. After all, her expertise was as a mercenary, not a thief. This was turning out to be far more fun than she thought it would be, danger and all. It had been a while since she last felt so carefree.

[“Yeah, try explaining it to that stuck-up advisor, Seteth, when the rumor reaches his ears” Sothis rebuked her.

“ _IF_ the rumor reaches his prude ears” Byleth corrected the goddess in her mind, eliciting a chuckle. The green-haired girl seemed to be enjoying herself tonight too.]

Guided by the soft amber light of her spell, the two made their way through the narrow tunnel on hands and feet, Yuri trailing after his professor. The surface was rough under Yuri’s slender hands and it was pissing him off. The loose ground was sure to get under his nails and he hated having dirty nails. It made him look cheap. His trousers might get ruined too. He was mentally cursing the traitor who forced him into this “mission” but, as he looked up, his train of thought was abruptly cut off by the contour of Byleth’s round, plump butt, illuminated by her fire magic. As she needed her palm to maintain the spell, she was awkwardly crawling on her elbows, causing her ass to be raised higher than if she were using her hands and granting him a bonus view of her ample, armored bosom through her legs. _Hot damn_. His mind quickly summoned a similar image of the professor bent over in a rather different setting and heat rushed to his groin. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her ass before. Without the cover of her cape, it was clear that her shorts would be in the highest scale of inappropriate attire for a school instructor if not for the tights covering her legs. And as much as he thought that black lace was hot, he cursed it for hiding the pale skin of her thighs from him. Yuri’s glossy lips curved in a sly grin. This fucking mission sucked but hey, at least the view was nice.

Mesmerized by the bouncing of those round, pillowy buttocks with each step, Yuri missed the moment his professor halted and almost crashed into said body part. _Damn my quick reflexes_ , he chastised himself in his mind.

“It seems to end further up” Byleth whispered and the Ashen Wolf was relieved that she didn’t turn to face him. He probably looked a tad bit shaken. Instead, she quietly put out the fire and approached the end of the tunnel, which seemed to stop at some sort of metal gills. Yuri waited as she looked around for a long moment before tracing her steps back to him. “It looks like a fireplace on the other side”

“That’s clever” the thief mused. 

“I didn’t see any lights on or heard any noises besides light snoring. If this is his bedroom, he must be asleep” she continued her report. 

“Good. Think you can get the hatch open?” 

“Yeah” the instructor whispered and made her way back to the metal gills. She quietly fumbled with it for a bit and pushed it outward carefully, giving them passage into the decoy fireplace. _Nimble fingers_ , the young man noted to himself with a slight smirk. 

The fireplace really was just an ornament, as there were no traces of it having ever been used. There were only a few logs secured in place, meant to just obscure the secret passage, so the two quickly found themselves in the room. Byleth crouched with her hand ready at her sword and Yuri confirmed his suspicions: she definitely had the instincts to become one of his gang. But he’d have to ponder that later. Right now, he should focus on restoring his wounded pride.

Sharp hairpin in hand, Yuri blended in with the shadows, made his way to the bed, and, in one swift motion, pierced the neck of his enemy at a particular angle, using his other hand to cover the gurgling coming from the bastard’s mouth. The choked sound didn’t last long. Swift killing. Byleth hadn’t really been prepared for that, but she felt both grateful it hadn’t been messy and rather impressed with his method. She had pictured him a bit more of a sadist in her mind, which is why she had come in the first place: to avoid unnecessary carnage. Seems like she’d been wrong.

[“He’s dangerous” Sothis whispered in a warning tone, but Byleth barely noticed. She was enthralled by that silhouette that looked distinctly manly in the shadows.]

After making sure the door was locked, Yuri lighted the bedside candle and snatched a brass key from the neck of the deceased. He left the silver hairpin embedded in the thug’s neck as a twisted calling card so his gang knew who had done it and could come seeking retribution if they so desired, but he had a feeling they wouldn’t mess with him at least for a while. 

“That felt good. But now let’s find my treasure and get the hell out” he spoke in a low, calm voice as if he hadn’t just murdered someone in cold blood. It gave Byleth the chills, though not in a creepy way. “You may take whatever you find, if you wish”

The blue-haired professor shook her head and simply stood guard by the door, prickling her ears for any signs that they’d been discovered, hand still ready to unsheathe her steel sword. _Damn, she’s got good instincts,_ Yuri thought again as he looked through the dresser and wardrobe in search of a hidden safe or chest. It didn’t take long to find it and get it open. It was rather full. 

“You sure you don’t want anything? There’s a lot of stuff in here” the thief-turned-student offered again as he went through the safe, and Byleth, now sure the guards outside were unaware of their presence, approached him this time to satisfy her curiosity about the contents of Yuri’s “small fortune.”

Looking over his shoulder, she saw the large treasure chest was mostly full of gems and large bullions, as well as some expensive-looking swords and daggers. But she noticed that Yuri ignored everything and kept rummaging until he dug out a small, battered chest that bore signs of having been pried open.

“Aha” he exclaimed upon bringing the box to eye level. Relief was evident in Yuri’s amethyst eyes as he opened it looked upon its contents: a crumpled envelope, a bound leather journal, and a platinum necklace.

[“THAT’s his small fortune? Pfft, what a dud” the goddess in Byleth’s mind scoffed condescendingly. Byleth suppressed a chuckle, feeling relieved that her student’s motivations had been more sentimental than financial after all.]

Yuri carefully tucked his property into his jacket, briefly going through the large pile of gold and jewels again before deciding that nothing was really worth the effort of carrying it back. He straightened his clothes and felt the items safely tucked against his chest one more time. 

“Thanks for coming along, friend” Yuri whispered with his back turned to his professor. He had never called her a friend before and she would’ve liked to see his expression as the words left his mouth. But when he turned, mischief glinted in his light-colored eyes. “Ready to bolt?”

“Wait” she stopped him before crawling back into the tunnel. “Shouldn’t we go find the traitor?”

“Nah” the young man made a dismissive gesture with his now dirty hands. “The gang will give him what he deserves tomorrow when they find the corpse”

Byleth nodded and felt relieved that they didn’t need to kill anyone else tonight.

The escape had been as smooth as their intrusion: no one detected them. So they made their way back into the town at the foot of Garreg Mach to reunite with Yuri’s gang at the tavern.

“You sure you don’t want a drink? It’s on me, and I rarely give away any freebies” the thief lord tempted his professor again. He thought she might’ve been playing modest the first time she refused. It really wouldn’t be very appropriate to drink with his professor, but then again none of what had transpired that night was exactly appropriate. Byleth shook her head once more. “It’s your call. Thanks again, I’ll see you tomorrow for skill instruction”

“You better not show up hung-over or drunk” she sentenced with that perfect poker face of hers, making Yuri laugh heartily.

“Right, I promise. See you, then” his amethyst eyes bore intensely into her blue ones for a few moments, trying to read her, but when she didn’t give anything away, he turned around and walked into the tavern to show off his victory to his comrades, a bright smile on his glossy lips.

[“You realize you were supposed to chastise him tonight, right?” Sothis’ chiding tone interrupted the professor’s thoughts.

“Yeah…” she didn’t really have any arguments to excuse herself. Sothis’ shrill laughter surprised her.

“Gods, that was fun. Let’s try that again sometime” the goddess decreed in a relaxed tone she had never used before. “I’m starting to like the wild one”]

Byleth made her way through the silent monastery with a smile on her face, listening to her mind companion’s delighted remarks about their nightly escapade, and thinking that this should definitely give her enough leverage to ask Yuri to stop breaking the hearts of students left and right.

[“Yeah… good luck with that!”]

And lots of luck she would need, but she would save the conversation for tomorrow. Surely Yuri Leclerc wouldn’t have time to misbehave during his victory celebration, if only for tonight.


	3. Fishing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references one of Sylvain’s questions for Byleth after skill instruction. I’m not quoting textually but the idea is the same.
> 
> It took me a while to decide which route to place this story on. Because of the themes of crests and the way they’ve f*cked up Fodlan, I think the Ashen Wolves naturally fit into Crimson Flower. But despite the flop that is the Church of Seiros, my heart is with Dimitri and the Blue Lions all the way, so I’m placing this story along the events of Azure Moon. 
> 
> For clarity’s sake, I recommend looking up an image of the yoga position mentioned in this chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Never in her life had Byleth Eisner been so wrong before. Yuri really wasted no time when it came to misbehaving and he seemed keen on dragging her along, much to Sothis’ amusement. 

Byleth’s class had been asked to meet up in the training room for the week’s skill instruction. The Rite of Rebirth was to take place at the end of the month and their task was to help with security. Piece of cake, had it not been for the hunch the young professor had about it all: this was definitely a ruse. She felt she was unwittingly setting some events in motion from which there would be no turning back. And she was leading her students right down that path with her. 

Executing Rhea’s judgement on Lord Lonato had been a tough lesson for her pupils, one that was just too fresh on their minds and hearts. That’s why she couldn’t afford unpreparedness on this mission. The letter found in the lord’s possession was definitely a cover-up for something else. They didn’t even know who the real enemy was, although the one thing Byleth didn’t doubt was that they were dangerous, unscrupulous, and manipulative. They had exploited the suffering of a man and expended the lives of his followers to make their plot believable and distract the attention of the Knights of Seiros to do… exactly what, she wasn’t sure. Yet. But she’d be damned if she would allow her students to walk into whatever this was unprepared. For those reasons, she was trying to get as much training in as possible before the celebration; to give her Blue Lions a better chance to face whoever they would find on that day. There was only one week left to get them ready.

That being said… there was a certain Blue Lion who hadn’t shown up. _That rascal!_ Byleth thought with her hands busy on the bow she was adjusting for Ashe.

[“Drunk or hungover?” Sothis interrupted the blue-haired mercenary.

“Huh?”

“Yuri” the goddess’ voice echoed in between giggles. It was strange for her to be awake this early in the morning. “Do you think he’ll show up drunk or hungover?”]

“Um, professor?” Ashe’s nervous voice tried to catch her attention but she was completely zoned out. “Professor, if you tighten the string more, it might--”

_***POP*** _

“Professor, are you alright?” Dimitri was at her side in two strides of his long, muscled legs. He had a wild look in his blue eyes. “You’re bleeding!”

The sting of the string against her palm brought her back to reality. She looked at her blood trickling onto the dirt, trying to figure out how that had happened. 

“I’m fine” she concluded. The wound stung slightly but it was shallow. “I was just a little distracted. Mercedes, can you help me with this, please?”

“At your service” the blonde girl said in that soothing voice of hers. Warm, tingling magic began flowing from Mercedes’ hands into Byleth’s, effectively closing the cut. Dimitri offered his white handkerchief embroidered with the emblem of the Kingdom to wipe the remaining blood.

“Is something worrying you, professor?” the house leader asked in a grave tone. It was unlikely for the mercenary to make such amateur mistakes.

“Not at all. I just stayed up a little late last night” she answered. She wasn’t lying but she felt as if she was. Her late-night adventure was best kept between that rascal and her.

“Did you stay up for a midnight date, professor?” Yuri’s sultry voice made everyone’s eyes turn to him, not quite believing the daring words he had uttered. He strolled into the training room lithe like a cat. “I bet he’s a hot one”

“Oh dear! Don’t be crass, Yurikins” Constance jumped in, fanning her overheated face with her hand.

Annette was covering her eyes as if she had just seen Seteth walk by in his undies; Mercedes and Ashe were turned away awkwardly; red in the face, Ingrid was trying to close Sylvain’s jaw, which had dropped and looked almost unhinged; Felix rolled his amber eyes; Balthus’ mouth was making a small but distinct “o”; Hapi was leaning on the wall uninterested; Dedue’s eyebrow twitched slightly; and Dimitri had murderous intent positively written on his pale face. The prince looked like he would spear the Ashen Wolf right where he stood.

[“Drunk it is” Sothis blurted in between giggles.]

“Hot for a rat” Byleth deadpanned. All eyes turned back to her, questioningly. “I stayed up chasing a rat last night”

Yuri laughed wholeheartedly and everyone else just kind of shifted awkwardly in their places, unsure of what was going on.

“And here I thought you guys didn’t have that problem in the aboveground” he spat with his violet eyes fixed intently on his professor’s blue ones. She held his gaze unmoving.

“Um, we’ll have to inform the staff so they can do pest control in the dorms” Ingrid said, trying to diffuse the tension and steer the conversation back to more appropriate topics. “If I may, professor, I can do that after the session is over”

“Thank you, Ingrid” a slight pang of guilt coursed right through the professor but her face remained blank. She hoped whoever was assigned the task wouldn’t waste too much time on the made-up rats. “Everyone, continue practicing with your assigned partners and I’ll work with each of you in order. Yuri, practice parrying with Felix”

Yuri blinked a few times in disbelief, then smirked. _Did you just hold a grudge, professor?_ Byleth knew that the lavender-haired swordsman hated working with Felix. Too angsty, Yuri had said, and too much of a hard-ass to fall for his tricks in combat. Felix just looked at him like he was an idiot and tossed him a sword. Feeling a rush of excitement, not exactly caused by the prospect of training, Yuri lifted his sword to try and deflect the barrage of blows that was coming his way. 

The awkwardness was lifted soon after everyone began concentrating on their tasks. Byleth continued working with Ashe for a little bit, then moved on to each of her students. As she finished, relief washed over her: they were all making fast progress. It gave her some peace of mind as the Rite of Rebirth was almost upon them. That being said, she had pushed them all hard throughout the month and even she was feeling the strain on her body. Fighting on sore muscles was as bad as being unprepared so she was trying some relaxing yoga to end the session. It was a good thing that she had made it a rule to wear the house loungewear for training a few weeks ago.

“Alright, everyone. Pick a mat from the pile and line up in two rows facing me. We’ll try some relaxing exercises before you’re dismissed” 

The Blue Lions began digging through the pile of mats Catherine had provided. Some had seen better days, to put it nicely. Mercy and Ashe helped pass them around until they realized there weren’t enough in good condition, so Sylvain and Yuri were left to play a tug of war for the last decent one.

“C’mon man, you came in late today”

“So?”

“So you don’t deserve it!” 

Using the height difference to his advantage, the redhead held on tight to the mat and lunged forward, pushing Yuri back hard. Although the thief was fast enough to dodge the lunge, that would’ve meant letting go of the prized item, which he wasn’t about to do. Yuri would be damned if he had to get dirt under his nails _again_ after the ridiculously long time it took him to wash it off last night. So the shorter man planted his feet firmly on the ground and took Sylvain head on. As the laws of mass and acceleration would have it, Sylvain’s momentum sent Yuri sprawling flat on his butt.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m ta-- uh?” Sylvain’s little celebration dance was cut short by a curious object that fell out of Yuri’s pocket: a silver brooch with a peculiar emblem on it. 

“Oops” Yuri picked the object off the ground and proceeded to dust it carefully, almost displaying it. The ruckus had caught Ingrid’s attention, who was now looking upon the scene with mild curiosity.

“That emblem… WAIT!” Sylvain dropped the prized yoga mat and snatched the brooch from Yuri’s hands. “Is this Camilla’s?!”

“Yeah, just a parting gift from this morning. She wouldn’t let me go” the swordsman flashed him a suggestive smile and retrieved the object, securing it in his pocket. “Nice girl, do you know her?”

Ingrid covered her mouth to try to stop a loud gasp and Sylvain’s mouth dropped open yet again. Everyone knew Camilla: older student, flirty, big-chested, big-sister complex. She wore a distinctly low-cut version of the academy’s uniform and, right at the edge of her inner shirt, between her plump breasts, she wore _that_ brooch. Everyone in the academy could recognize it. 

“She’s my girl, you prick!”

“Oh, is she?” Yuri put on his best apologetic mask. “I’m so sorry, she didn’t say so”

“Well… uhh... we’ve gone out twice, so...” Sylvain tried to defend himself in a shaky voice. “Hey, you DID see us together yesterday in town!”

“I did…? Oh, _I_ _did_ ” the Abyssian stood up and proceeded to dust his loungewear coolly. “My bad. Well, at least now you won’t let her toy with you, yeah?”

Sylvain had the most defeated expression that anyone had ever seen him put on in public. He was usually nonchalant about getting rejected but this was a hard blow to his pride. There was only one way that Yuri could’ve gotten that brooch. He knew, because he had spent the last date with Camilla trying to obtain it. Ingrid rolled her eyes: served her best friend well. She would have to give him a piece of her mind later, and would definitely remind the professor to make good on her promise to talk to the leader of the Ashen Wolves.

“Yuri, Sylvain, please keep your private affairs to yourselves” the professor said coolly and beckoned them to join the rows of students. Sylvain was so fazed that he didn’t even protest when his newfound rival grabbed the mat they had so fought over. “Let’s get started. Come on, Sylvain, this will make you feel better” 

Mercedes and Anette giggled: had the professor just teased? Sylvain blushed a shade as bright as his hair and joined his classmates.

Byleth briefly explained the reason for this session and instructed her students to copy her movements as closely as possible without straining too much. As she performed each stance, she would give quick instructions for pose and repetition. Given their muscled builds, Balthus, Dedue, and Dimitri were having a particularly tough time following up.

“This next one is called cat-cow and it’s very important that you do it fluidly but slowly” Byleth said while she got on her hands and knees, facing her students. “Inhale slowly as you lift your chin and chest towards the ceiling… hold it… now exhale as you lower your head and arch your spine upwards. Yes, good. Let’s repeat...”

Yuri was pretty light on his feet and more than flexible enough. This wasn’t the first time he did stretching poses and he actually enjoyed them, but right now he was completely still on his hands and feet: the view in front of him was too distracting to focus on anything else. During their nightly excursion, he had been given a nice glimpse of Byleth’s round bottom, and the image kept resurfacing in his mind more and more as he got drunker and drunker at the tavern. To be honest, that might’ve been the main reason why he messed with that girl so early in the morning. But right now, the memories of Camilla’s generous front paled in comparison to the show Byleth was unwittingly putting on. As she stretched upwards in the cow position, his violet gaze traced the column of her pale neck down to the V between her breasts. He gulped and mentally thanked the goddess that she had decided to close her eyes at this point. The loungewear shirt was made to be snug in the chest, but the professor was extremely well endowed ( _What are those, Ds?)_ and the fabric was strained to the point where he could make out the shape of her perky nipples. Heat rose to his cheeks and to other lower areas. The mercenary arched upwards into the cat position, making him think of the magnificent view of her rear he would have if she were facing the other way. But all cognitive process was rendered useless when her breasts bounced slightly as she shifted back into the cow position.

Yuri’s hand almost traveled south to give himself a relieving squeeze but a dark, ominous presence pulled him out of his reverie: Dimitri was eyeing the lord of Abyss with bloodlust in his eyes. Yuri’s blood chilled but he wasn’t one to be intimidated easily, so he smirked, winked at the prince, and resumed stretching. Dimitri’s nails dug deep into the exercise mat with such force they almost split but Dedue’s calm voice brought him back from the brink of ire.

“Breathe, your highness” the man from Duscur said low enough for only his liege to hear. Slowly, Dimitri relaxed his fists and sat up, trying to get a hold of himself.

Although he pretended not to notice, Yuri paid close attention to the little show the Kingdom crown prince put on. _Does he like her that much…? Mmm, that could be interesting_ the lavender-haired thief pondered as he tried not to get too carried away again by Byleth and her soft curves, at least not until he was somewhere more private, mind you.

“Good job everyone, that’s it for today. Go freshen up and rest before lunch” the young professor announced after going through a few more yoga poses. Some students stood up and grabbed towels to wipe their sweaty brows, others laid down on the mats to rest from the long session. Yuri was among the ones getting ready to leave but Byleth’s flat voice stopped him. “Leclerc”

A slight flash of panic crossed his amethyst eyes. She couldn’t have noticed his little voyeuristic session… could she?

“Run 10 laps around the monastery and don’t be late again” she commanded with that infuriatingly passive expression on her face, even if her tone was nothing short of dominant. It sent a shiver down his spine.

“Yes, professor” Yuri bowed slightly, the gesture irreverent rather than submissive, and made his way out of the training room.

“The boss can run his mouth but he means no harm, professor” Balthus’ deep voice shifted Byleth’s attention away from the door, where Yuri had just been. “Hope ya don’t take him too seriously”

The other Ashen Wolves joined in the attempt to put in a good word for their leader, but Byleth assured them that she didn’t think ill of him. All the while, she noticed Dimitri’s impassive stare on them. She had never seen that iciness in his eyes. It made her uneasy.

“Dimitri, good work today” the young professor’s flat but feminine voice pulled the prince out of his head. He gave her a puzzled look. “Your lance drills were considerably more fluid and precise than last week”

“Professor… thank you” the warmth returned to his eyes and Byleth let out a sigh she didn’t know she had been holding.

The Blue Lions began scattering but Sylvain stayed behind, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. He didn’t approach his professor until the training room was almost empty though.

“Hey, professor… I may need your help with something” the redhead’s serious tone got her attention. “So there’s this older girl… I’ve been showering her with gifts and I’ve been a real gentleman, but I can’t seem to hold her attention”

Byleth almost rolled her eyes. Was this about that thing with Yuri? All the interest she might’ve had on what he had to say was gone. “”Why are you asking me?”

“I think she may be around your age, so I figured you’d know what she might like”

The professor considered just walking away from this nonsense but there was an ounce of honesty in Sylvain’s copper eyes. Ugh, she wasn’t sure her position as instructor included matchmaking duties, but what the hell.

“Gifts, you said--”

“No, no, dear friend, that’s not the way to a girl’s heart” Yuri’s sultry voice interrupted. He was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and a smug smile on his pink lips. A light sheen of sweat covered his pale face. How long had he been standing there?

“I thought I told you to run 10 laps. Or would you prefer I make it 20?” as little as Byleth cared about her students’ love lives, she didn’t think Sylvain could take another blow to his ego today. It was obvious in the way the taller young man seemed to step behind her for cover. She needed him focused and fresh for the upcoming mission.

“I did. I’m quick on my feet” he winked a perfectly made up eye. How was it even possible for someone’s makeup to remain pristine after training for three hours? “Like I said, gifts will get you nowhere, my friend. You should know that by now”

“Oh, yeah? So _what_ exactly will get me where I want?” Sylvain retorted in a guarded tone.

“Excitement” 

Byleth and Sylvain looked at each other in disbelief. It made Yuri laugh out loud for some reason.

“You have to bait her, friend” the Ashen Wolf continued. “It’s a game of patience, much like fishing. The more you chase after her, the more she’ll slip your grasp. You have to show her an exciting time, then go cold. Chicks can’t resist that. When she realizes you’re not all over her, she’ll come begging for your attention. She’ll do anything you ask”

That… kind of made sense. Sylvain was always intense in his affections and it rarely worked. “So… an exciting time?”

“Oh yeah” Yuri looked straight into the professor’s blue eyes instead of Sylvain’s. “Take her out for a midnight stroll, raid a bandit’s hideout, something fun like that”

Byleth’s stomach dropped as if someone had just dumped a bucket of icy water over her.

[“Oh my, is he… baiting _you_?” Sothis’ high-pitched laugh made her host’s ears ring.]

“Are you messing with me, man?” the Gautier heir sounded irritated. He wasn’t in the mood for any more teasing today.

“No, listen” Yuri continued, his eyes still trained on the professor’s seemingly unflinching face, unsure of whether his words were affecting her or not. “Do something dangerous, forbidden, that she can’t do with anyone else. She won’t be able to stop thinking about you then”

“That…” the redhead relaxed a little, carefully considering the implications of his newest classmate’s advice. “...kinda makes sense”

“Of course. It never fails”

Yuri’s amethyst eyes never broke contact with Byleth’s. He seemed to be looking for something. But whatever it was, he didn’t find it, so he looked away.

“Seems like your problem’s solved, then” the young mercenary concluded and picked up her training gear. “I’ll see you guys at lunch. Try to stay out of trouble”

[“Strategic retreat” Sothis mused in her mind. “Smart move. We don’t know what he’s playing at here”]

She didn’t linger on the lavender-haired man as she passed him by the door. Sylvain’s interest had been piqued, so he remained to inquire further. Yuri humored him for a bit albeit somewhat absentmindedly. His mind was currently preoccupied with the image of his professor’s perfect poker face.

_Quite the ice queen, huh, professor? I wonder what it’ll take to rile you up?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering... yes, Camilla from FE Fates made a cameo appearance just for fun :)


	4. Wild Goose Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the time you’ve taken to read! Your comments are very encouraging, I’ll do my best to keep this story interesting.
> 
> This chapter happens right after the events of the Rite of Rebirth (chapter 4) and before Rhea assigns Byleth the mission to hunt down Miklan (Tower of Black Winds, chapter 5). I know missions are assigned at the beginning of the month but for storytelling purposes, I’ll say the chapter 5 mission was assigned halfway through the month. Please bear with me on this.

[“Sooo, I don’t think I’ve ever been in school, but…” Sothis whispered in Byleth’s mind, a touch of mischief in her voice. “I’m sure this crosses all kinds of teacher-student boundaries”

“I know, I’m trying to fix it”

Sothis snorted. “Yeah, you keep saying that to yourself”]

As she felt Yuri’s slender frame tight against her chest, Byleth couldn’t help but agree with Sothis. If Seteth ever found out about this, her bright teaching career was over. Not like she ever wanted to teach in the first place, but she was definitely going to try to avoid the advisor’s legendary lecture that would ensue if they  _ did _ get caught. Yuri’s body heat was warming her chest plate to an uncomfortable degree.

_ Focus, Byleth.  _

“You alright professor? You seem nervous” Yuri whispered close to her face. She gave no reply. “Ah, I know. I have that effect on women”

“I’m going to kill you, Leclerc” Byleth spat in frustration, trying not to wiggle against her student’s body too much. “Now keep quiet”

“Heh, now that’s the spirit”

She could feel the rumble in his chest as he laughed. How had she gotten caught up in this ugly mess again?

Right, that damned tea invitation…

**REWIND A FEW HOURS**

The Rite of Rebirth had been a wild ride. As predicted, the unknown enemy had shown up in the Holy Mausoleum and, as unpleasant as that whole affair had been, Byleth was proud of the way her students had carried themselves through the battle. Despite the mistakes that come naturally with inexperience, the Blue Lions broke through the enemy ranks fiercely and secured a solid victory. But that didn’t ease the strange feeling of the encounter: a sword in a coffin? and what was up with that Death Knight character? That, together with Lady Rhea’s cryptic explanation and the issuing of the Sword of the Creator, gave Byleth the impression that things could—and would—get out of hand quickly.

But there was little to be done about it. For now, Byleth was on a different mission: tea time. Everything was set up in one of the monastery’s gardens and she was purchasing a packet of Honeyed-Fruit Blend tea. According to the school’s roster, it was Yuri’s birthday and tea seemed like an appropriate way to celebrate. It would also be a good opportunity to finally have that talk about his philandering. Now she just needed to locate that lavender-haired trouble maker and drag him out of the shadows for a cup of tea and biscuits.

As she was getting her change back from the eastern merchant, there was a roar in the distance. Then there was a mobilization of some knights, seemingly headed to the fishing pond or whatever else was in that direction. A feeling of dread coursed through Byleth. Without counting her change, she climbed the stairs that connected the marketplace and the entrance hall to ask the gatekeeper about it.

“Professor, it seems like  some intruders got into the monastery” the knight informed. “Jeralt and some knights are already after them but please be careful and alert your students”

As she made her way to the entrance of Abyss, she debated whether her assistance would be needed. But if her father was leading the chase, the situation was most likely already under control. With that thought in mind, the blue-haired professor made for the dormitories, except… there was a huge ruckus at the end of the line of rooms. Right next to her own room, in fact. Dangerously close to the entrance to...  _ Fuck _ . She picked up the pace and quickly realized the situation was anything but under control: there was a massive wyvern blocking the passage to Abyss, swatting the javelins and hand-axes the knights were throwing at it.

In all her experience as a mercenary, Byleth had never encountered a wyvern quite like this one: it was massively muscled and extremely aggressive. As she approached, she didn’t see her father anywhere. Tucking the tea pouch into her coat pocket, the mercenary readied her relic sword.

[“Wow, this is a nice little mess the knights got on their hands” Sothis noted as the scene unfolded. “Use caution”]

“What’s going on?” Byleth asked as she dodged a swat of the wyvern’s muscled wing. Its shrill cry was deafening.

“Intruders” an armored knight answered. “They fled into Abyss and this damned beast won’t let us through-- agh!”

The wyvern parried a javelin and it would’ve impaled the knight had it not been for Byleth’s quick reflexes. She shot it straight back at the animal’s wing with a flick of her sword but it didn’t pierce through its tough scales. Just what was this wyvern made of?

“Where is my father?”

“He managed to get through and went after them” the knight said. He was fastening a thick rope to a hook. “Catherine is on her way here”

Knowing that the wielder of Thunderbrand would get the situation under control out here, Byleth dodged the smack of wings and tail, effectively cutting through to the underground. The Abyss gatekeeper was visibly beat up but was able to direct her to the bridge in the middle level, where Jeralt was fighting a sword-wielding girl that looked to be a mercenary of sorts. Her bright red hair stood out in the dimness of Abyss. Byleth readied the Sword of the Creator.

“Hey kid, I’ll handle this rogue” her father commanded when he noticed her, lance in hand blocking the unknown mercenary. “An axe-wielding individual crossed through the bridge, go chase after them”

With a nod, Byleth sprinted towards the bridge but was cut off as the intruding mercenary  effortlessly riposted Jeralt’s lance thrust with lightning speed and blocked the way.

“Not so fast, scum” 

Without giving her time to think, the intruding girl swung her killing edge in a high arch that would have seriously hurt Byleth if she hadn’t side stepped it and used her elbow to knock her on the face, taking advantage of the wider-than-necessary arch and the obvious height difference. This girl was obviously skilled but also very rash, leaving herself open to attacks. Jeralt took his chance and moved in and, although the pig-tailed girl recovered quickly, Byleth was already crossing the bridge, leaving behind the clashing sounds of lance against sword.

[“If the intruder wields an axe, and considering the beast outside, they must be a wyvern rider” Sothis mused in the professor’s mind. “Use extreme caution, wyvern riders and lords have brutish strength and you’re alone here”]

Byleth agreed with the goddess and, as soon as the bridge was crossed, she realized this may have been a bad idea. She had heard Abyss was a massive labyrinth and now she believed it: the hallway at the other end of the bridge split into three paths, dark and damp. She didn’t know which one to take.

[“Don’t be discouraged, stand still and listen” Sothis suggested. Byleth was grateful that she wasn’t truly alone in this after all. “There, that way!”]

There was a sound of splintering wood and the young professor followed it down one of the dark passageways. As she advanced, the sounds were distinguished as metal against metal, so there was probably a trapped Abyss dweller trying to fend against the intruder. She needed to hurry, it seemed like they were fighting and advancing quickly. She didn’t want to miss them. 

Pressing on, she came across broken crates and other junk where some clashing had taken place. The person fighting the intruder was definitely trying to run away instead of fighting head-on. This was bad. Byleth picked up the pace trying to follow the direction of the noise until there was sudden quietness. Fearing the worst, she began running. 

[“Something’s not right...” the whisper of the goddess made Byleth jump a little. She felt a little skittish. “Maybe-- Hey, look out!”]

A hard tug on Byleth’s coat attempted to pull her into a crevice that was very well hidden in the shadows, but honed reflexes caused her to swing the heel of her palm behind her where the face or neck of her assailant probably was. A pained yelp indicated her success.

“Dammit professor!”

“Yuri...?”

“Quiet! Get in here, quick”

The professor allowed herself to be dragged into the dark opening in the stone wall. The Ashen Wolf led them through some twists and turns by the hand which he hadn’t let go of yet until they made it to an opening that ended up in another dank hallway. They had been cutting through walls and landed in a passage parallel to the one they had started in. Byleth looked around and it seemed safe, then her eyes finally fell on Yuri’s face. A thin thread of blood trickled from his nose onto his lips and chin.

“Oh. I’m sorry about that” she motioned toward his bleeding face. She tucked the Sword of the Creator back in her belt.

“Heh, you almost ruined my handsome face” he gave a lopsided smile as he wiped the blood with his sleeve, removing the lipgloss along with it. Byleth couldn’t really read whether he was serious or not. “What are you doing here?”

“Me? What are YOU doing here? Some rogues broke into the monastery and--” realization clicked in and the professor’s words died on her lips. She frowned. “ Wait, Did you have anything to do with this?”

“Well… yes and no” a guilty smile was plastered on Yuri’s pretty visage. 

[Sothis laughed loudly. “Of course he’s involved”]

“There’s some foul play here but, for once, it wasn’t me. It see--”

A sharp axe sliced the air and nicked some lavender hairs as Byleth pushed her student out of the way. The intruder had followed them silently through the passage and was now swinging a silver axe way too fast for Byleth to safely pull out her sword. Sothis had been right: she looked like a wyvern rider and her axe was hacking away with massive force. Byleth’s limbs were as good as gone if the axe made contact. 

The intruder, a blue-haired girl clad in black armor, was doing her best to corner the pair against a wall. She was close to succeeding as Byleth had limited room for maneuvering in the narrow hallway but Yuri moved with that characteristic nimbleness of his and knocked the enemy off her feet with a low sweep. The professor tried to pull out the Sword of the Creator but was blocked as Yuri’s slender fingers interlaced with hers and dragged her along again, deeper into the maze that was Abyss. 

[“Either he’s really reluctant to fight, or he likes holding your hand way too much” the goddess teased. “Suspicious either way”]

“Not now” Byleth answered, not realizing she spoke out loud.

“Not now what, professor?” Yuri asked in confusion. There were sounds of armored feet clanking against the stone floor as the rogue was tailing them too close for comfort. “Nevermind, keep running!” 

* * *

“Do you think we overdid it?” Sylvain asked in a weak voice. His gaze was fixed on Catherine and Shamir attempting to bind the wyvern with some chains. This whole thing was looking like the worst idea he had had so far.

“Absolutely not!” Lorenz answered quickly although his attention was set on the fight as well. They were watching from the second level where the sauna was. “No effort is too much when it comes to restoring a noble’s sullied pride”

“Well, I kinda understand that, but… that’s a fucking wyvern, Lorenz” the Blue Lion rubbed the back of his neck, a heaviness settling in the pit of his stomach. “And it’s going berserk on the knights”

“Ehm… yes, I see that” the Golden Deer cleared his throat and ran a hand through his purple hair. “But remember why we called them here and not into the town: Garreg Mach has powerful knights who can ensure the safety of those not involved. And as far as I can see, no one has gotten hurt”

“I guess, but… I’m really not sure, man...”

* * *

“So… do you plan on playing cat and mouse forever?” Byleth asked her student. They were currently crouching in a dark recess in the wall of one of the many passages of Abyss. They’d been running, hiding, then running some more with the rogue on their trail. It didn’t seem like the blue-haired stranger would tire anytime soon. 

“That’d be fun, but no” the young man answered. His voice did sound amused. “There is an exit somewhere around here, we just need to find it”

The mercenary was neither convinced nor relieved. Yuri still hadn’t explained what was going on. Hell, he hadn’t even let go of her hand either, but for some reason, she didn’t mind that.

“Why don’t we just face her? We can stop her” the professor suggested. She was getting really tired of these dark, damp hallways.

“Yeah, no” the Abyssian flicked his hair dismissively with his free hand. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to kill her”

“Kill? I didn’t say we should kill her. We should  _ stop _ her. I’m sure I can subdue her”

Yuri snickered. “Yeah, the only way she will surrender is if we kill her. So, no”

Frowning, Byleth let go of Yuri’s hand and crossed her arms. There was something fishy going on.

“Do you owe them money? Or did you steal from them? Wait… is she an ex-girlfriend?”

Yuri laughed a little too loud to be safe. With the skill the intruder displayed, she had most likely heard and would be upon them in no time again.

“You wound me” he touched his chest dramatically, right over his heart. “Do I look like Balthus to you? I may be the leader of a gang, but I am not that kind of man”

Honestly speaking, Byleth didn’t have that impression either. She had seen him ignore a chest full of jewels and gold in favor of items of sentimental value, after all. She was just wary of not knowing what was going on and Yuri didn’t seem intent on confessing. She was very close to saying “fuck it” and going out to fight the wyvern rider, but she wanted to believe Yuri had a good reason for this.

[“You’re really naive, you know?” Sothis whispered in a chiding tone. “He’s gonna take you for a wild ride if you’re not careful”]

Byleth chose to ignore the goddess and kept waiting for Yuri to explain himself. He sighed in defeat but there was a smile on his lips. Even without his trademark lipgloss, they were slightly pink; Byleth felt suddenly odd for noticing that.

“She and the redhead are Camilla’s retainers” the Ashen Wolf finally said. Byleth’s face was blank: she had no idea what he was talking about. “Camilla, that girl Sylvain was seeing and that I… ehm… went out with, remember?”

Sothis laughed in her mind. “Oh. The pendant girl?”

“Yeah, that one” Yuri felt unexpectedly shy. As much as he was a ladies’ man, that particular tryst had been a whim after a night of fantasizing about  _ another _ big-chested woman. He wasn’t very proud of it. “She’s a wealthy Alliance noble and, well, I’m the Lord of Abyss, so my best guess is that her retainers didn’t look graciously upon our little affair”

Oh. So that’s why they couldn’t kill her. Both Byleth and Sothis laughed wholeheartedly, making heat rise up to Yuri’s cheeks. Camilla’s retainer would quickly catch up to them at this rate. 

“Wow” was all Byleth managed to say before another fit of laughter overtook her.

Yuri had never heard his professor laugh like that. He had barely even seen her smile, and this rare display of emotion caught him so off-guard that he must’ve stared at her, open mouthed, for longer than was probably appropriate. But before he could say anything to defend—or further destroy—his reputation, sounds of hurried footsteps caught his attention. That wyvern lord was hot on their trail.

“Dammit, we’ll talk about it later. Let’s go”

Without thinking, Yuri reached in the darkness for his professor’s hand, easily intertwining their fingers as they resumed running. Byleth didn’t protest… the warmth of his hand was actually pretty pleasant.

“Are you sure you can find the exit? I think you’re lost...” 

* * *

“We fucked up” Sylvain was trying not to panic as the scene unfolded before his eyes, which, by the way, itched terribly because of the smoke. It looked like the scene of a cheesy and tragic opera.

“No, we did not” Lorenz tried to reason although he was a step away from madness himself.

“We FUCKED up, Lorenz!” there, Sylvain was losing it. He was in so much trouble!

“Now, don’t be crass, Sylvain. Things just got a little out of hand, that’s all” the purple-haired noble continued his line of delusional thought. “But we did what we had to do and, look at that, the knights have got it under control. Or will. Any minute now”

“Are you fucking blind?” Sylvain felt like slapping the Gloucester heir in his stupid-looking face. 

Both students looked with horror upon the chaos they had caused: Catherine was trying to hack away at the wyvern’s tough scales but the beast was too quick to be hit with her Thunderbrand’s Foudroyant Strike. Shamir was still trying to bind it with arrows hooked with chains to no avail, and a failed attempt to shoot it with burning arrows had resulted in a small fire that had almost destroyed the professor’s room and whoever else’s was directly above it. Weren’t fliers supposed to be weak to arrows...? Alois was directing the efforts to put out the fire, and... And now Seteth was making an appearance, silver lance in hand. Of course someone alerted Seteth.

“We’re screwed” Sylvain brought both hands to the sides of his head, all hopes lost. At the sight of the stern and very angry-looking advisor, Lorenz knew Sylvain was right for once.

Maybe they  _ had _ gone overboard with that little vengeance they tried to pull, but… he had just been so mad! So utterly humiliated! And he knew Sylvain felt the same way. If only they hadn’t listened to that Abyssian hooligan! 

Rumors about how Yuri had stolen Camilla right from under Sylvain’s nose spread fast and, in accordance with his noble duty, Lorenz had taken it upon himself to lecture the Gautier heir about proper courting practices. But sometime during the exchange, Sylvain had let slip the advice that the Abyssian Lord had given him: to use excitement to bait girls. Although both nobles had laughed and dismissed it as bad taste, neither could deny Yuri’s success with the ladies and so they both had run off to test it: Sylvain and a minor Empire noble had tried to steal a horse from the stables for a midnight ride, and Lorenz and a fellow Alliance heiress had tried to break into the greenhouse after hours. Of course they both had gotten caught and had had to sit through the most awkward and humiliating lecture ever from none other than Seteth. The icing on the cake? They had had to write home about their behavior and were to await the punishment set by their fathers, although the disgrace of having to confess their crime was punishment enough, at least for Lorenz. 

As if the whole ordeal hadn’t caused enough embarrassment to last them a lifetime, everyone in Garreg Mach had heard about their attempted escapades and they had been the school’s laughing stock ever since. Although Sylvain wasn’t as devastated as Lorenz, his pride had taken a hard blow, so when the Alliance noble suggested they get back at Yuri, he easily followed suit. Lorenz knew Camilla’s family fairly well and was aware of the  _ eccentric _ disposition of her retainers, who were quite obviously obsessed with their mistress. So an anonymous letter disguised with concern for Camilla’s honor had alerted the two retainers of the lowly Abyssian who had tarnished their mistress’ reputation. And here they were now, wreaking havoc in Garreg Mach and probably trying to kill Yuri Leclerc. 

“To be fair, I wasn’t aware that one of them was a wyvern rider” Lorenz tried to defend himself as he saw Seteth struggle to subdue the wyvern. “I pictured them more like Hubert or Dedue, not so... murderous”

“Yeah, well, Camilla’s pretty intense so we should’ve known” Sylvain felt like kicking himself for his lack of insight. His father would kill him for sure. “What the hell are we gonna do now?”

“Pray to the goddess that Seteth doesn’t find out, that’s what”

* * *

“Are you alright, professor? You’re bleeding”

“Oh” the space between them was too tight for her to look down, so she just reached with her hand to feel her thigh, rubbing against the whole expanse of Yuri’s chest and abdomen in the process. He felt slightly out of breath. “It’s just a nick”

As the professor pulled her hand back, Yuri wiggled slightly and Byleth ended up settling her non-injured thigh between his legs, a little too close to his groin. Yuri couldn’t really tell if she noticed as her face was blank as usual, so he decided not to mention it and just enjoy the warmth of her body. Her magnificent chest was flush against him, although he couldn’t really feel anything through her armor plate. He cursed it silently. 

Although he was quite distracted by the whole situation, he noticed the mercenary seemed to be engrossed in some serious thought. It unnerved the Ashen Wolf a little.

“You alright professor? You seem nervous” Yuri whispered close to her face, completely unaware of the little dialogue Byleth and Sothis were having in her mind. “Ah, I know. I have that effect on women”

“I’m going to kill you, Leclerc” Byleth spat in frustration, trying not to wiggle against her student’s body too much. “Now keep quiet”

“Heh, now that’s the spirit”

As much as they had tried to sneak past Camilla’s retainer, she was extremely stealthy and it had been inevitable to cross blades. It was obvious that this girl was a trained assassin, so Byleth had stepped in and taken over the fight, constantly pushing Yuri out of the way. That’s how she had gotten that little scratch. The sudden protectiveness Byleth had displayed made Yuri feel weird; he was used to doing the protecting, not letting women fight for him. But luckily, the Lord of Abyss was never unprepared and a little stunning powder aimed at their enemy’s eyes had bought them enough time to finally locate the exit. The narrow opening led under the bridge of Garreg Mach but instead of fleeing, Yuri thought that it would be better to hide and let the wyvern rider find the exit. She would think they had fled and her efforts would be led away from the monastery, which is exactly what they needed. It was now just a matter of patience. It was risky: the crevice was in the wall right next to the exit, but Yuri was counting on the rogue to be drawn directly to the exit. After all, hiding in plain sight was the oldest trick in the book for a reason. 

It didn’t take long for the retainer to find the passage and, as predicted, she hurried outside, cursing Yuri out loud. Despite the success of their little plan, Byleth didn’t want to underestimate her and decided they should wait a while longer before coming out of their hiding spot.

[“Are you sure you don’t have a thing for younger men and just want to keep him here longer?” Sothis taunted, making Byleth blush a little. 

“What? No!” 

“Yeah, okay” the goddess didn’t sound convinced. “Hmm… what kind of men  _ do _ you like, then?”]

That was a question Byleth had never asked herself. As she had lived most of her life as a traveling mercenary, she never got a chance to meet any potential romantic partners. And if there ever were any, her father had probably scared them away before she got a chance to meet them. She wasn’t even sure what it was supposed to feel like when you liked someone. Now she was a little curious.

“What are you thinking about, professor?” Yuri whispered. His breath smelled sweet and was warm against her hair. He wasn’t sure if he had seen her blushing or if the darkness was playing tricks on him.

“I’m thinking about all the extra assignments I’m going to give you after this, Leclerc” Byleth was frowning and that made Yuri laugh, pushing their bodies tighter against each other. Byleth tried not to let the warmth against her thigh distract her from scolding him. “Your womanizing act really got out of hand this time. Maybe you should tone it down”

“Perhaps you’re a little jealous?” Yuri’s voice got lower than usual but Byleth just rolled her eyes, seemingly unaffected. “I’m kidding. Yeah, I didn’t think this would happen. I’m sorry, professor. But… there’s something just odd about this situation. I really think someone set me up”

“It could be” the professor wasn’t sure she believed him. “But don’t try to walk away from your responsibility. You need to clean up your act. Someone could’ve gotten hurt today”

“Yeah… Alright, I promise” Yuri shifted a little closer, slightly grinding against her leg. Was that accidental…? “Just don’t get mad when I have to find other ways to entertain myself”

“Wh--”

Much to Yuri’s disappointment, whatever reply was forming in Byleth’s lips was timely cut off by voices in the nearby hallways. It sounded like Jeralt calling out to Byleth.

“We should catch up with my dad or he’ll get lost” the young woman said and quickly tried to untangle her body from her student’s. In her hurry to break contact, her coat got caught in Yuri’s sword belt and ripped a little when she pulled it, causing the tea pouch to fall out of her pocket.

“Huh?” the lavender-haired man picked up the tea. There was confusion in his eyes for a second before his lips curved upwards into a sly grin. “Honeyed-Fruit Blend... Professor, were you looking to ask me on a little date?”

“It’s your birthday” Byleth mumbled, turning away from him. This whole situation was turning a little too weird for her. What was he playing at? “Let’s catch up with my father”

“My birthday, huh?” Yuri remained in his spot for a few seconds, unsure about how he felt about the events of the day. “Raincheck, professor?”

They quickly caught up with Jeralt, who had been able to make it through Abyss with the help of Constance. 

Aboveground, Camilla—and every single student at Garreg Mach—had seen the wyvern causing the commotion and recognized it as her retainer Beruka’s mount. Luckily, she had been able to stop Seteth from slaying it just as Jeralt turned up with Selena, hands tied behind her back. Camilla quickly explained they were her retainers and so Jeralt had gone back to catch up with Byleth before she accidentally killed the student’s other servant. 

As Lady Rhea had been too busy to deal with the situation herself, it had fallen to Seteth to give the students involved the scolding of their lifetimes. Luckily, neither Beruka nor Selena had revealed who had called them into the officer’s academy, so Sylvain and Lorenz were in the clear for now. While Camilla seemed genuinely sorry that her retainers had tried to hunt Yuri down, he just sat through the lecture with a mask of indifference on his face. As his assigned instructor, Byleth had also had to endure her fair share of lecturing but she didn’t take it to heart. The situation  _ had _ gotten out of control after all. She was just glad no one had gotten hurt in the end.

“I am seriously disappointed in you, professor” Seteth repeated for the nth time in that grave voice of his. “Although you’re new in the academy, you have to understand and uphold the core values of...”

Byleth had stopped paying attention to the advisor’s lecture a while ago and was instead having a little chat with Sothis.

[“Wow, I never thought that teaching could get so rowdy. And that Yuri just keeps dragging you into his plights!”

“I know” the professor giggled along with the goddess. “But… it’s been kinda fun. At least more fun than grading tests and attending faculty meetings”

“Oh gods, Byleth” Sothis sounded a little dazed. “Don’t tell me...”

“What?” 

“Is his strategy working?”]

As the goddess laughed her heart out, Byleth thought about it: huh, perhaps showing girls an exciting time  _ was _ a good strategy after all. Although she wasn’t sure if this meant she liked Yuri as a man, now she had two little adventures with him that she would definitely be thinking about for a while. Things were turning out a little more amusing than expected.

“Are you listening, professor Byleth?” Seteth pulled her out of her thoughts. “Why are you smiling? Is this situation amusing to you?”

“Oh. No, of course not”

“Well, try to act like it, professor. As faculty of this institution, we must always...”

[“Gods, does this man ever stop?”]

Byleth wondered the exact same thing as she listened to the green-haired advisor repeat himself for the nth time. Yuri would have so much extra homework after this little stunt!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record… I don’t think Lorenz has a stupid face! I’m sorry I said that, it was just Sylvain’s characterization. Thank you all for reading :)


	5. Raincheck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long delay but, as you all know, the world is going crazy these days. But thank you for continuing to read! 
> 
> This references Yuri’s and F!Byleth’s B support, although I chose a different setting for it. I also took some liberties with the content of the dialogue but I tried not to change anything essential. Spoilers for that support!
> 
> Hope you continue to enjoy this :) there’s some healthy Dimitri jealousy in this one!

“I’m not sure about this...” Byleth sounded nervous. The reflection in the mirror didn’t look quite like herself.

“Why? You look amazing, professor,” Manuela encouraged her younger colleague. She wasn’t lying: the accessory suited Byleth well. “Besides, after the last battle, you will need those for a while. Healing magic can close wounds and stop blood loss, but the body needs time to recover. So you must absolutely comply for at least two weeks.”

“Well, if you really think I need to...”

“I do,” the healer continued excitedly. This seemed to amuse her too much for some reason. “You look amazing, don’t you worry about a thing. The boys in your class will enjoy it, I’m sure. Maybe even some girls too.”

Byleth wasn’t sure what the wink Manuela gave her was supposed to mean but it made her uncomfortable enough to just thank her and make a strategic retreat. If this was strictly medical, she would put up with it. It shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

The last mission had felt like a flop to Byleth: the Church had tasked her class to hunt down Miklan Gautier and retrieve that relic lance. She had decided she would try to avoid killing him but things had quickly gone south when he transformed into that…  _ thing _ . There were too many secrets the Church was keeping. And she really didn’t mind that as much as the fact that they had knowingly sent her student to hunt down his own brother. Just what was Lady Rhea thinking? Although it made her angry, she knew she was in no position to say anything at this point, especially after a wyvern almost destroyed the dormitories because of one of her students. Seteth’s reprimand was still ringing in her ears even a week later.

All that aside, Byleth was worried about Sylvain after the battle so she had taken it upon herself to spend some quality time together. He seemed guarded at first, dismissive even, but opened up a little by the end of their little tea party. It made the professor feel like he would be alright so she would now try to give him some space. He would soon need to be at his best again for their newest mission: investigating the disappearance of Seteth’s little sister, yet another strange occurrence at the monastery. She was beginning to agree with Sothis that Garreg Mach was perhaps too dangerous of a place to be a school. She was nevertheless thinking up her strategy and letting her students rest a little before they began the assignment.

“Dimitri, do you have a moment?” Byleth asked the prince, whom she found polishing his armor in the training room. It had gotten rather beat up and bloody during the last battle.

“Of course.” He set down the supplies in his hands to focus his attention on her. “Is this about--”

Dimitri’s train of thought was suddenly cut off as he looked up at her. He tried his best not to stare or gape like a fish but wasn’t sure he was accomplishing either. She looked just… so...

“Oh. Is it too bad?” Byleth asked, noticing he was distracted by her new accessory.

“No!” the prince interjected quickly. And loudly. He cleared his suddenly dry throat. “Not at all, professor. I was just surprised about how well it suits you.”

“Thank you,” she said warmly, feeling a little more confident. “I wanted to say you did an amazing job in the last battle.”

“Professor, you don’t have to praise me,” he tried to cut off the compliments, still unable to tear his gaze away from the mercenary’s blue eyes. She looked rather… tempting? Was that how he was feeling: tempted?

“I mean it. Your leadership was crucial to ensure the victory and, most importantly, in keeping your allies safe. I am proud and amazed at your progress. You will make a fine ruler, Dimitri."

“I...” A violent heat rose from his neck to his cheeks. He probably looked like a fool right now. “Thank you, professor. This means a lot but we couldn’t have done it without your guidance, so I offer you my gratitude as well.”

Dimitri bowed and Byleth wasn’t quite sure what to do about that. She just let him carry on with his polite gesture.

“So, about that...” Dimitri continued as he rose, referring to the foreign accessory on Byleth’s face. “Is it because of that mage’s attack?”

“Yeah. I avoided most of it but the fire blast was a little too close for safety,” she answered, twirling a strand of blue hair self-consciously around her finger. Dimitri couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

“I see… that’s… uh...”  _ Pull yourself together, Dimitri _ . “...unfortunate...”

* * *

_ Well, isn’t  _ that _ interesting?  _ Yuri thought to himself as he observed the prince make a complete fool of himself in front of their professor. He had actually been looking for her, and was now witnessing their little interaction from the open door of the training room. He could only see Byleth’s back but the prince’s face was in full view from this angle and it seemed like he was close to either hyperventilating or having a severe nosebleed. Getting a raging boner, perhaps? 

Yuri couldn’t hear what they were talking about but he was sure Dimitri wasn’t really hearing any of it either: he was staring at Byleth like a lovesick puppy. It made the Abyssian want to laugh out loud. Then Byleth pulled something out of her coat pocket and offered it to the prince, whose cheeks got an impossibly deeper shade of red. Yuri couldn’t tell for sure from where he stood, but it looked like a white handkerchief. Byleth didn’t seem like the type to use such garments, so could it be…? Yuri chuckled darkly: it seemed like the professor was returning Dimitri's handkerchief. And, of course, Dimitri was refusing to take it back, gifting it to her with adoration clearly written in his blue eyes.  _ I swear, this is some textbook mush _ , the thief lord thought to himself as he stifled a laugh. He couldn’t see his professor’s face but he was almost sure she had her perfect mask of indifference on.  _ Almost _ . So as to not give DImitri any more time for his princely charm to work, he strutted into the training room, clearing his throat to break their spell.

“Yuri.” The prince acknowledged him with a cold look. How could his eyes go from lovesick to icy so quickly?

“Hey there.” The lavender-haired man approached them lithely. “Am I interrupting? I was looking for--”

Much like Dimitri, Yuri lost all cognitive abilities for a second when Byleth turned to face him. And as much as he had made fun of the prince, Yuri had no doubts that the crimson in his cheeks matched Dimitri’s earlier.

“Yuri, I was actually hoping to see you later,” the professor said but the young man barely listened. She noticed he was staring. “Umm… Do these glasses not suit me?”

“Oh.” He ran a hand through his silky lilac tresses, trying to recover from his shock. “Not at all. I mean, yes, they suit you well. You just look… uh... different.”

And different she  _ did _ look. The red frames accentuated her pale skin and the deep blue of her eyes. He had never found glasses particularly attractive, but Byleth Eisner could pull them off like no one else he had seen before. She was the epitome of every guy’s hot teacher fantasy. It made him nervous in a way he had never felt but, before he could embarrass himself any further, Dimitri’s piercing gaze brought him back down from cloud nine. He would have to save those thoughts for later, when he was alone.

“Um, yes.” Yuri cleared his throat again. Goddess, he knew he was acting stupid but couldn’t help himself. “I was hoping to invite you for a cup of tea, professor. Are you free now?”

Dimitri stared daggers at the Abyssian but Byleth seemed none the wiser.

“Yes, that's great,” she said, messing with her hair again. Yuri wondered briefly if the glasses made her feel self-conscious or something. “I was actually looking to ask you the same since we didn't do that on your birthday last month.”

Rage flashed in Dimitri’s eyes but it was masked quickly, leaving the thief to wonder what exactly he was hiding. But prince or not, Yuri Leclerc wasn’t one to be intimidated easily.

“Shall we get going, professor?”

“Yes. Dimitri,” Byleth turned to the blonde youth and gave him a small smile that made his heart skip a beat. Yuri tried his best to stifle a mocking smirk. “Try to get some rest, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow in class.”

Dimitri assented with a regal motion before he returned his attention to his long-forgotten armor. Byleth then led Yuri out of the training room.

[“So now we’re doing tea with him, huh?” Sothis’ voice came out of nowhere. Byleth was starting to notice she always appeared when Yuri was around. “Don’t let his charm get you.”

“Me? I’m more worried about his charm getting  _ you, _ ” Byleth retorted. It made Sothis laugh.] 

Although Yuri had already set up everything in a secluded corner in Abyss, he couldn’t say no when Byleth suggested they hang out in one of the gardens aboveground. It was a bright day, she said, and with those glasses on, Yuri couldn’t say no even if he wanted to. He agreed with the condition that he hosted their next tea party in Abyss. 

[“Not even through with this one and he’s already planning another one? This is worrisome,” Sothis commented although there was more delight than worry in her voice. For some reason, it pleased Byleth to know the goddess was enjoying herself.]

When they arrived at the garden, Yuri realized she had already prepared everything. It made him smile. They sat down and the first thing he noticed was the Honeyed-Fruit Blend tea he so adored. That and a  _ mountain _ of shortbread cookies.

“I heard you have quite the sweet tooth,” Byleth said as she poured the tea, noticing Yuri’s violet gaze on the sweets.

He smiled and set a handful of cookies on his plate. Then he took a moment to enjoy the fragrance of the tea before taking a sip. He wouldn’t expect a mercenary to be proficient at tea brewing but this wasn’t bad at all.

“I wanted to thank you for joining me when I had to deal with that mess with the Scorpions gang a while ago. You were a real help,” Yuri said a few sips of tea and half a cookie later. That caught her attention and he tried not to get side-tracked by her enticing blue eyes behind those damned red frames. “You also came through when those crazed girls chased after me. I wouldn’t say you’ve fully earned my trust, but… you’ve earned something, for sure. I owe you.”

Byleth stared blankly at him for a moment. She looked really cute with those glasses on but that was a thought for later.  _ Damn, did I really use the word cute? _ Yuri seriously wondered if he had a kink for glasses and he just hadn’t noticed before.

[“That could be fun, don’t you think? Him owing you?” The goddess commented, knowing Byleth was about to refuse him. “Or useful at the very least.”]

“If you’d like,” the mercenary finally responded, but he had got so caught up staring at her that he had no idea what she was talking about. Sothis laughed. “You can owe me if you’d like.”

“Oh.” He tried hard to stop the blush from showing on his pale face. He needed to get serious or he would soon turn into ‘the lovesick prince.’ “I would like, yes. Open offer to share your desires. But if the price is too high, I reserve my right to refuse you.”

Byleth rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea, easily shaking off his taunt. He turned his attention to his snacks too before he did something embarrassing again. 

“I was rummaging through what we recovered from the Scorpions,” Yuri started after a few silent moments. He wanted to shift his thoughts away from his professor’s pretty face. “I stumbled across something pretty special to me.”

[“Oh, do tell.” Sothis seemed interested. Byleth was sure the goddess was developing a bit of a soft spot for the Lord of Abyss.]

Yuri pulled a small notebook from his pocket, leather bound, and Byleth recognized it as one of the treasures they had recovered from the thieves’ den. She waited patiently for him to continue.

“It was under lock and key, so those thugs probably thought it was something of high value.” He took another bite of a strawberry jam cookie and Byleth briefly wondered how he managed to avoid getting shortbread crumbs all over his pink lipgloss. That stuff was pretty sticky, right? “The elder gave it to me when I was small. Losing it really got me where it hurts...”

Byleth felt something stir in her chest at his words. His amethyst eyes looked glazed for a second. “Back when you were a kid?”

He hesitated for a moment before giving in.  _ Damn those glasses! _ “I guess it couldn’t hurt to tell you about it...”

As Yuri spoke about his past and his motivations for being a gang leader, Byleth confirmed her earlier suspicions: there really was more to him than just his thief façade. Although it seemed he wasn’t past using dirty tactics, his motivations were noble enough and Byleth liked that. What with the incident with Miklan and what Sylvain had shared about his father, she had a feeling many nobles were less than  _ noble _ , so it didn’t bother her to know that Yuri was able to use his charms to shift some of their power in favor of the less fortunate. But there was something that she didn’t quite get…

“So your current name is also fake?”

He laughed. “As though I’d tell you, friend. But perhaps you can share what you think, hmm?”

[“Now that sounds like a challenge,” the goddess commented excitedly.]

Byleth thought the same. Considering the little adventures they had already had, this challenge would be fun for sure. As Yuri busied himself with the shortbread and adding more honey to his already sweet-to-death tea, the mercenary took her chance to observe him. He had just disclosed his humble origins but Byleth couldn’t help to think he looked as refined and noble as Ferdinand or Lorenz, maybe even more so. His features were really something and those amethyst eyes could be quite enticing. And he sometimes spoke with such passion... It was no wonder nobles were easily smitten.

Although he appeared to be invested in his snacks, Yuri knew his professor was openly and intently staring. Considering he had made a fool of himself earlier, this made him feel great, if a little giddy.  _ Ugh, what is wrong with me today?!  _ He needed to tip the scales.

“Charming, aren’t I?” He said out of the blue, settling half-lidded violet eyes on her. “I’m certainly not above using that charm to get what I want.”

“And what is it you want?”

By the way her eyes widened slightly, Yuri knew she spoke without thinking. Was she teasing now…? He felt a rush of excitement he wasn’t sure he had felt before.

“Let’s hang out more often and you might find out.” His low voice was accompanied by a wink. That drew a chuckle out of Byleth and made her turn away, twirling her hair in her hand. He thought her sudden shyness was adorable. “Perhaps we should change our next tea session for a… harder drink?”

Byleth chuckled and adjusted her glasses. “I’m not sure that would be appropriate.”

[“Now you care about appropriate? Yeah, right...” Sothis chided.]

“Well, neither was breaking into a manor full of thieves, but suit yourself,” he retorted with a smirk on his pink lips. Sothis laughed in Byleth’s mind. “Let me know if you change your mind, eh?”

Byleth was beginning to understand Yuri liked to get a rise out of people. What she didn’t know was that he was particularly interested in figuring out what could rile  _ her _ up, though. Now she thought she might need to watch what she said so as to not give him a chance for any off comments.

[“Is that really what you want, though?” The goddess whispered softly, taunting.]

Ignoring Sothis and trying to lighten the tension, the professor pulled a plain, medium-sized box and Yuri watched with curiosity written on his face.

“Happy birthday,” Byleth said and nudged the box in his direction.

He smiled lopsidedly and picked it up, finding an ivory board game inside. It must be foreign as he had never seen one like that before, and expensive given the material. He liked these kinds of gifts.

“Honeyed-Fruit tea, shortbread, and a game? You really know what I like, don’t you?” He teased with a satisfied smile and a slight pink tinge on his cheeks. “Thank you, but I’m afraid I don’t know how to play this game.”

“Oh, here.” The professor pulled a folded piece of parchment from her coat pocket. “I wrote the instructions. It’s a game from Dagda that I picked up a while back but I never got to play it. I figured you’d appreciate it more.”

“Well, thank you. I appreciate personal gifts,” Yuri said with that wolfish look back in his amethyst eyes. It made Byleth shift in her seat. “Why don’t you show me how to play next time?”

Byleth assented and returned to her cooling tea. She felt his heavy gaze on her for a few moments before he took the last sip of his sweet drink.

“Well, this was fun but I’m afraid I’ve got business to return to,” he said as he made to stand up. 

“Please don’t do anything shady,” the professor said in a suddenly stern voice. “Seteth is still pissed about that thing with Camilla.”

“Haha, it’s nothing like that, don’t worry,” he assured with a smile. “Thanks for the treat, friend. Let’s do this again sometime, yeah?”

With that, he bowed politely and made his exit, leaving Byleth to put away the tea set and the remaining cookies. She would bring them to Lysithea later.

[“You’re not really planning on having that drink with him, are you?” Sothis interrupted, trying to sound chastising but not really achieving it.

“Well…” Byleth pondered it for a few moments. “I might.”

Sothis laughed for the tenth time in the last hour. “Oh, I can’t wait!”]

Byleth continued clearing the table with a small smile plastered on her face. Yuri was hiding a lot of secrets but he seemed to be slowly letting her in, so it would be ungrateful of her not to appreciate it. Although, if she were to be honest with herself, she was mostly intrigued about that wolfish look he seemed to give her sometimes. Byleth wasn’t sure what it meant or why it made her throat feel dry, but she knew one thing for sure: it would be fun to figure it out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this! I apologize for the slow progress of their romance but I really wanted to show the little things that make people fall in love. Things begin to escalate starting the next chapter, though, so please continue to read :)


	6. Battle Afterthoughts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for continuing to give this story a chance. I apologize for the yet again long delay, but this home office situation is driving me up the wall. I hope everyone is staying safe!
> 
> Warning: this chapter gets slightly steamy, though not explicit. Yet. I will warn you guys before this story moves up the rating.
> 
> Chapter 6: Rumors of a Reaper is referenced. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it.

“Is this what you want?” Warm breath tickled Byleth’s ear as the words were uttered. His voice was unusually rough and it sent a jolt of electricity along her spine. “I want to hear you say it.”

Trapped face down between the mattress and his warm body, Byleth was only able to answer with a needy moan. That made the man on top of her grind his hips hard into her, allowing her to feel up close the very obviously hard nether region of his body. The hot tip of his tongue found her lobe, running along slowly, then his perfectly white teeth bit deliciously hard into the soft flesh. Helpless, Byleth whimpered and tried to bury her face in the sheets.

“I said I want to hear you say it,” the man repeated as he grabbed a fistful of her blue hair and pulled back, giving him access to the long column of her neck. He bit hard and Byleth couldn’t stop her hips from angling up into his, seeking that delicious contact again. His chest vibrated with a raspy laugh.

“Do you want this?” Releasing her hair, he made his way down the back of her exposed neck, his lips grazing her skin tauntingly as he spoke. But Byleth remained quiet, although it was due to inability more than unwillingness to utter the words he demanded to hear.

As his hot mouth worked magic on the heated skin of her neck and shoulder, lithe fingers snaked under her and began trailing upwards toward her neglected breasts. Byleth’s pulse spiked and she found herself pleading. Still muttering a salacious string of commands, the man’s fingers danced on the underside of her soft mounds, intentionally avoiding the sensitive peaks, refusing to give her what she so desperately wanted.

“Please...” When had Byleth’s voice become so hoarse? Her throat ached but she couldn’t stop begging him for some release from the torture that his expert hands were inflicting upon her. “Please, please...”

“Say it,” he commanded, grinding his hips into her again. “Say that you want me. Say it.” 

“Yes, yes...” Byleth moaned as she craned her neck and upper back, seeking to close the gap between her dry lips and his. “I want you, I want you… Goddess, I want you, Yuri...”

Byleth’s eyes opened in fear, scanning her surroundings and palming her body, trying to figure out if she was really nude. She was not. Her bewildered eyes focused quickly and she recognized her room at the monastery. It was still dark outside and there was nobody else with her. She was sitting up on her bed, panting hard and so sweaty that the black shirt she wore under her armor stuck to her skin. Her shorts and underwear were damp too.

“Damn,” she muttered, running a hand through her sweaty hair before flopping down onto her rather lumpy mattress. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

Byleth was aghast: had she really been dreaming of her student? What could possibly have caused that? Sure, she was aware of how charming and handsome he was, but she had never been one to fantasize like this. And it’s not like he was her only handsome student; she was surrounded by good-looking noble heirs and heiresses. Even in the sparse occasions when she touched herself to release some stress, she had never really imagined anyone she knew, not even the fellow mercenaries she had ever slept with. So why now?

The professor recalled the events of the previous hours to try and figure it out. After finding Flayn and fighting those unknown enemies, Byleth had spent a few hours with Seteth and Lady Rhea trying to figure out how to proceed next and, of course, discussing Flayn’s addition to her class. The fight had been intense and she had expended a lot of energy using the Divine Pulse, so Seteth’s seemingly endless babbling went right over her head. Beyond exhausted, she had dozed off a few times as Rhea and Seteth went into the details of what took place and the archbishop dismissed her before she fell asleep right in the office. Byleth remembered she had felt so drained she had forgone a bath in favor of sleep, removing only her armor as she collapsed onto her bed.

Despite the severity of the situation, all that happened was business as usual. So why the hell had she dreamed that? As much as she wanted to go back to sleep, the mercenary feared the dream would continue where it let off. She needed to clear her mind… and her body: her clothes were stuck to her skin in all kinds of places. A bath would do just the trick, she thought as she got up and gathered her bath supplies and fresh clothes. 

It was a little past midnight so Byleth encountered no one on the way to the baths except for some knights on patrol. The bath house was deserted as well so she leisurely peeled the sticky fabric from her heated skin. It felt almost as heavenly as stepping into the hot water. Using a small bucket, she washed her hair and body, being careful around a tender area where Mercedes’ healing spells had closed a nasty gash. With the sweat and grime from battle off her skin, the blue-haired woman sat back to relax in the water a little longer. She had added a lavender-scented vial of bath salts to the water, which Manuela had gifted her at some point and that she had been carrying around in her bath supplies. The healer said they worked wonders on sore muscles and she had been so right that Byleth sank deeper into the water, allowing the salts and heat to ease away her tiredness.

Images of the battle flashed behind her closed eyelids. Byleth was admittedly nervous at the beginning of the battle as she had to go into it without Dimitri. The Blue Lions were making strides in their weapon and magic training, but they still lacked the reflexes that come with experience in the battlefield. It was difficult for her to keep an eye on everyone but Dimitri was quickly growing into his leadership role. She had come to rely on him greatly to both issue orders and spearhead assaults. His strength showed terrifying potential too. Naturally, heading into action without him gave her a sort of anxiety she had only mildly felt whenever she had started taking on mercenary missions without her father. But she had to press on and unravel the mystery of Flayn’s abduction.

Splitting up was never an option when leading amateur forces, but Byleth had no choice. There were contraptions and warp panels that needed to be investigated, so she sent Ashe to make use of his lockpicking proficiency and Sylvain to act as his shield. The rest of them headed left to meet the enemy head on. Without Dimitri or Sylvain to safely lure the enemy closer, Byleth had had to carefully calculate her movements. She had even used the Divine Pulse to stop her students from getting caught in vulnerable positions, and well before she had to see them die. But that tense rhythm didn’t last long as Yuri surprisingly but easily fell into a commanding role that gave her the certainty she needed to charge ahead. 

In contrast to Dimitri’s regal style of flat-out issuing orders, Yuri was able to subtly nudge his classmates into moving a certain way without having to actually instruct them. It was like he was playing chess. With a never-fading smirk on his perfectly pink lips, Yuri scanned the field ahead, quickly finding a way to route the foes before they had a chance to close in on his allies. He seemed to read her strategy too before she even voiced it. It truly was a sight to behold. 

With such skillful support, along with Sothis’ carefully timed insight, it was only a matter of time before Byleth and her class reached the enemy commander: a fearsome knight clad in dark armor. As he seemed content with just watching, Byleth decided she would avoid confronting him unless he went into the offense. And she really prayed that he wouldn’t. It had been a stressful moment when the enemy forces were down to the last mage next to him, as Byleth really didn’t know what he would do once the mage was down. But when Ingrid felled that last foe with a precise thrust from her lance and backed away to a safe distance, Byleth released a sigh she hadn’t realized she was holding. The Death Knight began to retreat. As much as the mercenary wanted to capture him, she wasn’t sure her students were fit to face him, much less round him up, so she moved aside to let him through, her students following suit. Except for Yuri.

Everything had happened so fast that Byleth still wasn’t sure when exactly the Lord of Abyss had moved to the right spot to pull off his little trick. As the Death Knight spurred his massive horse to slip past Felix and Dedue, Yuri rushed him silently from the side, undetected until he was already too close. With a flick of the knight’s armored wrist, the impossibly long scythe moved to split the thief cleanly in two and both Byleth and Sothis were ready to turn back time and stop it, but then _it_ happened. Tapping the tip of his killing edge to the scythe, the long weapon was destabilized and bounced back, startling the Death Knight. Then, as if that hadn’t been dangerous enough, Yuri used the split second it took the foe to recover to snatch the black leather satchel attached to the armored mount and swiftly get out of range again. Not bothering to chase him, the Death Knight had just retreated without looking back. If Byleth hadn’t been so distracted by his graceful form, she would’ve chewed his ass off regardless of the valuable dark seal he had managed to steal.

With the adrenaline of the battle wearing off, everything that happened after had been a blur more or less. Everything except for the vivid image of the lavender-haired man skillfully dancing around the deadly Scythe of Sariel, the slight opening of his thief combat outfit granting her a peek of the pale flesh underneath. For someone with such a slender frame, Yuri Leclerc had surprisingly nice pectorals. _And_ biceps too. Although his mass wasn’t as defined or bulky as Balthus’ or Dedue’s, the toned muscle easily showed when he gripped his sword or bow. Byleth wondered how hard his upper arms would be if she ran her fingers along them. Would he have defined abs too, or would sharp hip bones stand out more?

Back at the monastery’s stone bathtub, Byleth’s hands had traveled south of their own accord and nestled in the apex of her thighs. It wasn’t until her finger circling that sensitive spot ripped a sharp moan from her parted lips that she realized she had been touching herself to thoughts of her student. _Again_.

Frustrated, the mercenary dove under the water, holding her breath for as long as she could to try and shift her focus away from her throbbing core. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ she wondered for the second time that night. At least she was grateful Sothis was nowhere around to chastise or, worse, make fun of her. Knowing that dreams of the lavender-haired Abyssian would plague her, Byleth decided to catch up on her lesson plans and grading instead of attempting to sleep. Once the burning need began to let up, she stepped out of the hot water and got ready to return to her quarters. Perhaps she should work in the library so as to not give in into her urges?

Wearing a simple black tank-top and matching shorts, Byleth made her way to the door of the baths with her supplies and dirty clothes in her arms. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely avoided the collision with the man at the other side of the door. The professor looked up and blue met amethyst. She had never noticed how obviously taller he was than her until now that she didn’t have the added height of her boots’ heels.

“I’m sorry, did I startle you?” Yuri asked as he held her gaze. His amethyst eyes seemed clouded with an emotion she did not recognize, which seemed to intensify as he darted between her exposed cleavage and her blue eyes.

Suddenly aware of what she had almost done in the bathtub, Byleth looked away quickly and tried to side-step him. “No, I just didn’t see you there.”

Chuckling, Yuri blocked her escape with his arm. The sleeveless black undershirt he wore gave Byleth a close-up view of the muscles she had pondered over not long ago. 

[“My, my...” Sothis’ whisper spooked Byleth. “They _do_ look hard enough.”]

Of course _she_ appeared now. Trying to ignore both the goddess and the sight blocking her way, Byleth turned to face the young man and did her best to conceal the foreign ache that settled at the pit of her stomach.

“It’s late, you should go to bed soon. We have class tomorrow,” she said in a voice that she hoped was stoic. She was very intentional in her mention of his status as student and hers as professor. His now familiar lopsided smile made her wonder if he saw right through her. 

“Join me for a quick soak?”

For a few seconds that seemed to last far longer than they actually did, Byleth’s mind blanked. She knew Sothis was saying something in her mind but the words didn’t really register. Had he been listening in on her? Gods, she didn’t say his name, did she?! As panic washed through her like a bucket of iced water, her flight instinct took over and she swiftly ducked under Yuri’s outstretched arm.

“Good night, Leclerc,” she said his surname in an attempt to put distance between them. “Don’t be late tomorrow.”

Before he had a chance to trap her again, whether with words or with his arms, Byleth made for the stairs to the lower level. Thankfully, her room was just a few paces away and, as soon as she closed the door to her quarters, Byleth sank to the floor in a mess of trembling limbs.

[“Okay, what the actual hell was _that_?!” Sothis barged into her thoughts again. It was oddly comforting for Byleth to not be alone in this.

“I… I’m not...” The mercenary stumbled over her thoughts, unable to put into words what had just transpired. “Fuck… do you think he heard?”

“Heard what?” The goddess taunted. She knew what, she just wanted to rub salt into the wound.

“Dammit, you know what.” Despite the mixture of fear and uncertainty that coursed through her, Byleth’s voice remained calm and low.

“Well, if I had to guess...” Sothis paused for emotion before she was overcome with a hearty laugh. It did little to reassure Byleth. “Of course he heard. I mean, he’s the lord of cunning and stealth.”

Closing her eyes, the young professor pounded her head lightly against the wood of the closed door a couple times, trying to beat some sense into herself. 

“Maybe he didn’t know what _that_ was. I mean, the tub is pretty far from the door. I don’t think I was too loud anyway. Right?” Sothis remained silent. “I wasn’t too loud, was I?”

“Well… I guess…?” The goddess spoke in an unsure voice, making Byleth pound her head against the door a few more times. “I mean, he’s always edgy. I truly don’t know if tonight it was a reaction to your little… umm… episode, or if it was his usual self.”

The mercenary covered her face with her hands in a surprisingly girly fashion. It made Sothis laugh again.

“Ease down, it’ll be alright. He was lucky enough to be recruited by you and to be accepted back into the academy. I don’t think he will risk that for a liaison with a professor.”

Sothis was actually right. Byleth knew Yuri Leclerc was too ambitious to let his hormones get in the way of his plans. He was no Sylvain, after all. What he _was_ , though, was someone who liked to get a rise out of others. And she had fallen right into his game again.

“Yeah, you’re right… He probably won’t mention it,” Byleth responded to the goddess once the panic began to subside. “And I sure as hell won’t either.”

“See? It’s no big deal,” Sothis concluded but there was a little mischief in her high-pitched voice. “What _is_ a big deal is what _you_ think of him. Now, tell me everything.”]

* * *

The hot water still held the scent of the lavender bath salts Byleth had used not long ago. Yuri had noticed the smell on her hair and skin and it now had a rather strong effect on him. Sinking lower into the water, his slender hand ran lazy circles across his chest.

He wasn’t crazy. He _had_ heard moaning coming from the baths. Although only for a short moment, Yuri knew his professor had been moaning in here not even an hour ago. It made his already hard manhood throb almost painfully.

It had been mere coincidence to have run into her tonight. He had gone out into the town’s tavern intent on finding someone to satisfy an insisting urge he couldn’t seem to shake off as of late, but he hadn’t found anyone with the right characteristics. Dark blue hair wasn’t very common in this part of Fodlan, apparently. He really didn't have a habit of going to taverns to pick up partners, so the idea quickly lost its appeal. A nice, hot bath would have to do, he thought. But before he walked into the bathhouse, he had heard it. _Her_. He had excellent hearing and was sure it was his professor even before she came out. Already frustrated and still flustered from his unsuccessful search, his body had responded quickly and he hadn’t been able to avoid stroking himself a couple times through his clothes. Who was he to pass up the opportunity of a show starring his dear professor? 

But the moans hadn’t lasted long. Yuri briefly wondered if he had made a noise that spooked her but quickly dismissed the notion. He knew he had made no sound, which meant he had probably arrived too late to the show. Or perhaps she would rather continue her little fun alone in her room. Either way, he was a little too riled up to pass the opportunity and quickly resolved to bait her and see where that led.

The slight widening of Byleth’s eyes at finding him at the door told Yuri that he had been right about her activities in the bath. He knew that already. But what he didn’t know was that the sight of her in that indecently low-cut tank top would completely mess his perfectly practiced pick-up lines. Instead, he had been too forward. And, of course, that _had_ spooked her.

Lightly running his fingers across his abdomen, down into his groin but avoiding that part that demanded his full attention, Yuri realized that it was probably best that she hadn’t played along tonight. He still hadn’t figured out what exactly he wanted out of riling her up and he would never do anything that would back him into a situation he hadn’t fully thought out. Taking himself into his palm with that wretched moan still resounding in his mind, Yuri decided that his hand would do nicely at least for tonight.


	7. Talks of Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is staying safe, wherever you are! As I am living abroad, things have been rather stressful and I hadn’t been able to update before. I’m very sorry but I thank you for continuing to read.
> 
> This chapter references conversations from chapter 7 of the Azure Moon route, “The Battle of the Eagle and Lion,” so mild spoilers in case there is anyone who still hasn’t played that.
> 
> Yuri’s and Dimitri’s bickering is back again! I’m trying not to make either of them come off as a villain, I hope it’s working. Please enjoy and do let me know what you think of this :)

The weeks following the incident at the baths had been tame compared to what had already transpired. Much to Sothis’ disappointment, Yuri hadn’t made any attempts to approach the professor, not even during class or training, and Byleth had stuck to class-related interactions. She didn't even dare look at him directly for fear of remembering the scenes of her dream. The goddess was also put out that the mercenary hadn’t been able to answer whether she liked her student or not. Byleth hinted at the idea that the dream could’ve been a reflection of Sothis’ obvious fondness of Yuri, but the goddess knew that she didn’t have that kind of influence over her host. She knew that whatever attraction there was between those two, it was completely separate from her own thoughts and desires. But she could sense the professor was distraught over the idea of crossing boundaries with a student, so she had decided not to push her. She would just let the situation play out naturally. It would be amusing for sure.

Now, two days before the infamous Battle of the Eagle and Lion, the class was finishing one last outdoor drill. Byleth had spent the past weeks focusing on endurance and scouting, as they would be fighting in a vast area. In this last session, she had worked on refining battalion strategy. They had arrived at dawn in a semi-forested area a couple miles from Garreg Mach and now that the midday sun was high in the sky, it was time to call it a day.

“Good job, everyone,” Byleth called out to the panting and sweaty students circling her. They were all exhausted. “Let’s cool down before we head back to the monastery.”

“Ugh, I can’t take another step,” Hapi complained as she dropped onto the soft grass. “Working your students to death is a poor strategy, you know, chatterbox?”

Byleth chuckled. Hapi’s little nickname cracked her up every time as she considered herself a woman of few words.

“You’ll recover. I’m giving you the day off tomorrow to relax and rest.”

“Just kill me already,” the pink-haired girl groaned defeatedly, shielding her face from the burning sun with her hands. “You’ll have to carry me back, B. If I take one more step, my feet are gonna fall off!”

“Sure,” the large man agreed as he sat down to rest next to Hapi. His skin glistened with sweat but he wasn’t as out of breath as most of his classmates. “The robust King of Grappling still has strength left to give you a piggy-back ride.”

“Might I overstep my station too much if I were to possibly ask for assistance as well?” Constance joined them on the grass, fidgeting to find the right angle so Balthus’ shadow covered her from the sunlight. “I would understand if my request were to--”

“Of course! These muscles can still lift, miladies,” the burly man continued as he took off his uniform jacket and flexed his massive biceps. “You need a ride too, boss?”

“Nah,” the lavender-haired Abyssian answered as he ran one hand through his damp hair and fanned his sweaty face with the other, using the fluffy fan he had just borrowed from Constance.

Balthus noticed he was distracted and, as he followed the direction of Yuri’s purple gaze, the larger man smirked. The leader of the Ashen Wolves had been distracted the past weeks. Although it hadn’t been too obvious, Balthus knew him well enough to notice. He just hadn’t figured out the source until now: their enigmatic professor. Despite his numerous known liaisons, Balthus wasn’t sure what kind of woman was actually Yuri’s type, but he couldn’t be blamed for admiring the blue-haired mercenary. He had done it himself a few times. 

Sure enough, Yuri was distracted by Byleth’s stretching figure. Her cheeks were flushed and drops of sweat ran down her neck. He wanted to look away, to not follow the path that treacherous drop was following right between her firm breasts. He was risking making a fool of himself but he couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

Ever since the incident at the bath house, Yuri Leclerc was finding himself drawn to his professor but she was adamant on avoiding him. It puzzled him. He was used to being chased by people, not the other way around. But his lack of restraint with that woman was so infuriating that, naturally, he planned to keep himself at a safe distance until he figured out what exactly he wanted out of her. Most importantly, he needed to make sure that regardless of how things turned out, he wouldn’t be backed into a corner. Or at least that was his resolve when he thought about it alone in his room in Abyss. 

If he were to be honest with himself, he didn't want to scare her off either. After her reaction to his blunt offer at the baths, Yuri had a feeling Byleth would cave under the slightest pressure. But having her before him now, exposing the deliciously toned flesh of her abs as her shirt rode up, made it difficult to keep in mind what he had decided.

Especially when the prince of Faerghus kept trying to monopolize her attention. 

* * *

“May I ask something, professor?” The blonde asked as he approached, gesturing for her to walk with him.

“Of course, Dimitri.” Byleth followed him a few paces away from the rest of the class. Unbeknownst to her, Yuri followed them with a sharp gaze. “What is it?”

“Be honest, professor.” Dimitri fixed his azure eyes on her impassive ones. His face looked flushed from the intense training. “What are our chances of winning this battle?”

The mercenary thought for a few moments before answering. “That’s a tricky question. I haven’t seen the Golden Deer or the Black Eagles in action lately.”

Dimitri felt suddenly dejected. He had been expecting an honest response from his instructor, the kind she was prone to give, but he had been hoping for a positive answer.

“I see,” the prince continued, trying not to let his disappointment show in his voice. “Is there anything you think we could’ve improved more, then?”

“Not really,” Byleth said in that cool tone of hers and it struck Dimitri like a slap on the face. She realized her tactlessness too late. “What I mean is that I pushed you guys as hard as possible and the results surpassed my expectations.”

“Professor...” The heir to the kingdom throne looked at her with that lovesick expression that Yuri was beginning to hate.

“And on top of that, the Blue Lions have something that the other two houses don’t.”

“And what would that be?” He prompted, impatient to hear her assessment.

“You, of course,” Byleth said bluntly. It made Dimitri’s skin redden from the neck up to the tips of his ears and he seriously begged the goddess she would take it as exhaustion from training. “Since the last few missions, you’ve learned to make crucial decisions while remaining level-headed. You’ve grown really strong.”

“Please don’t say that,” the tall prince cut her off. He wasn’t sure how much more he would be able to endure before he had a heart attack. He balled his fists so as to hide the trembling of his fingers. “You’re the tactician who has led us to victory time and time again, and the instructor who has guided us to hone our skills. The credit is yours.”

“Yes, I devise the tactics,” the blue-haired professor conceded as she began removing her overcoat from her overheated body, while Dimitri tried his best not to shift his gaze lower than her face. “But you’re the leader that inspires your classmates. I'm not sure the other house leaders can meet you on equal terms on that. And I _know_ that will be crucial to secure the victory.”

“Thank you, professor...”

* * *

_Ugh, I’m gonna be sick_. Yuri felt his insides churn at the sight of Dimitri’s reverie. The red in his cheeks kept getting deeper and deeper as the conversation continued and... who did he think he was, helping the professor remove the overcoat from her shoulders? Of course he’d jump at any opportunity to get a feel of her, that sneaky son of a--

“You alright, Yuribird?” Hapi’s curious tone brought him out of his head.

“Yes. Why would you ask?”

“Uh, you just crushed Coco’s fan,” the girl answered with a questioning look on her olive-skinned face.

“Oh.” Yuri felt a cold chill run through him as he looked down at the item in his hand: it was broken beyond repair. Constance would so kill him and it was all that damned prince’s fault!

“Something bothering you, boss?” Balthus joined in, setting his heavy gaze on his leader. He sported a knowing grin that made Yuri want to smack him in that big head of his. “Or more like someo--”

“Balthus.” Yuri’s warning tone was enough to halt the larger man’s words before he said too much. It, however, did little to wipe the smirk off his face. “I’m off, I need a bath. You guys coming?”

Their leader was obviously ticked off so the three Ashen Wolves quickly got off the grass and followed, with Balthus keeping his promise to carry the two girls back. Had he not been so irritated, Yuri would’ve laughed at how stupid they looked. 

When Byleth noticed the Abyssians heading out, she instructed the rest of the Blue Lions to get going too. Dimitri walked by her side the whole way back and, as much as he hated to admit it, it didn’t go unnoticed by a certain lavender-haired man. But keeping to his resolve and, perhaps most importantly, to avoid making another scene, Yuri kept his distance without looking back. He did his best to ignore the prince and professor’s merry chit-chat and tried instead to figure out what the hell he was going to do to make up for Constance’s precious and now ruined fan.

A few minutes later and with the monastery in sight, Byleth asked her students to gather one last time.

“You’re all excused from tomorrow’s class,” she announced and sighs of relief were heard. “Let’s meet in the classroom on Saturday at noon before we set off to Gronder Field. Rest well, pack up properly, and take a break from training. I mean it, Felix.”

“Fine,” the indigo-haired student rolled his eyes.

On that note, the Blue Lions began scattering in the usual groups. Dimitri left with Dedue and Byleth walked the rest of the way back on her own.

[“Did you notice?” Sothis’ voice entered Byleth’s mind once she was alone. “He was staring daggers at you the whole day.”

“Who was?”

“Don’t you play dumb with me,” the goddess snapped. “If I noticed, you noticed too.”

“Right... But at least he hasn’t mentioned what happened last time. That’s a good sign, I think,” the professor commented.

“I wonder what he’s planning...” Sothis said after a long pause. The words caught the back of Byleth’s neck in an icy grip.

“What do you mean?” Byleth hated how panicked her voice sounded and how it made Sothis laugh.

“Are you daft? Of course he’s planning something. Do you really think someone like him would just drop the situation? No, he’s biding his time, although for what, I do not know...”]

The goddess’ words made Byleth’s stomach drop in a mixture of apprehension and excitement, so she decided to drop the subject and just walk. A quick bath and a nap would be great to get her mind off it all before lunchtime. Her stomach growled the whole way back.

* * *

Even with all the candles lit, the dining hall was too dark for Byleth. Her eyes were bleary and couldn’t focus as she made her way to a table with a plate of sautéed jerky in hand. She was wearing only her black top, shorts, and tights, no armor.

“Professor,” Dimitri’s voice called from an almost empty table. “Would you like to join me for dinner?”

The professor assented and took a seat across the blonde, who seemed to be enjoying his meal. She quickly remembered it was one of his favorites. They settled in a comfortable silence and began merrily eating.

“Are you feeling alright?” The prince asked after Byleth rubbed her eyes for the third time in five minutes.

“I’m a little sluggish. I took a nap when we got back but I overslept and now I’m even more tired.”

Dimitri smiled, showing a bit of his perfectly white teeth. “That explains the bed hair.”

The young woman brought a hand to touch her hair but, seeing the grin on the prince’s face, realized he had made a joke. That was new. He had been in a noticeably good mood all day. She liked this side of Dimitri and was about to tease him before a decadent voice cut her off from behind her. _Curses_.

“Mind if I join?” Yuri asked and Dimitri’s smile was replaced by his usual mask of regal politeness.

“Please,” the prince motioned for the Abyssian to take the seat next to his.

“Most gracious, _your highness_.” Despite the respectful title, Yuri’s voice sounded anything but.

Tension was tangible at the table but Byleth would be damned if she was going to let two teenagers put her off her meal. As she was starving after sleeping through lunch, the professor kept digging into her sauteed jerky. It tasted heavenly.

“I didn’t see you at lunch, friend,” Yuri started as he cut up a thin slice of his jerky and dipped it in some sauce. Forced to look up at his face, Byleth wondered how he was able to eat without messing up his lipstick.

[“Again with the lipstick?” Sothis tried to chide her but sounded rather amused. “I think you have a fixation...”]

“I fell asleep,” the professor answered as she forced her eyes to return to her plate before being caught staring. She wasn’t very successful, if the small smirk on the Abyssian’s face was any indication.

“Were you very tired, professor?” Dimitri inquired. He seemed to have lost interest in his food, pushing it around his plate with his fork.

“Not that much. I think the bath before my nap just relaxed me a bit much.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Byleth felt like kicking herself: Yuri’s grin widened at the mention of _that_ place.

“Ah, yes,” the Lord of Abyss spoke a tone lower than his usual one. “I _hear_ you really like your baths, professor.”

Gripping her silverware harder than necessary, the blue-haired woman kept her face and eyes blank under Yuri’s scrutinizing gaze, then returned to the task of devouring her meal. Sothis was making a racket in her mind but Byleth was too busy trying to maintain her poker face to pay any attention to her.

Noticing a change in Yuri’s voice, Dimitri stepped in. “That’s hardly appropriate, Yuri.”

“Isn’t it? My apologies,” the lavender-haired student conceded although his eyes were far from apologetic. 

Again, Byleth felt like Yuri was trying to see right through her. She was, however, way too tired to deal with whatever he was playing at, so she finished the last of her meal in a few large bites. The craving for a second or third helping of the sauteed meat was forgotten in lieu of a quick escape.

“I’m off,” the professor said as soon as she had swallowed the last of her jerky. Both young men fixed their eyes on hers as she stood with her plate in hand. “Get to bed early if you can. Good night.”

Dimitri stood politely as she left the table but Yuri didn’t bother and simply made a gesture with his hand. Looking at his plate for a minute after she was gone, Dimitri wiped his perfectly clean lips and stood up. He hadn’t even eaten half his food.

“I’ve lost my appetite. Good night, Yuri.”

“Night, you highness.”

When the prince was out of sight, Yuri’s smirk faded. It had happened again: why was it he couldn’t control himself when it came to her? He had meant to ignore the professor when he noticed her in line to get a plate but his resolve was thrown out the window as soon as the prince of Faerghus stepped in. They had just seemed so comfortable with each other that he couldn’t stop his feet from taking him to their table. And what was _that_ about the baths? The sharp tongue he had been blessed with, the one that charmed nobles and commoners alike, had betrayed him yet again. This whole affair was starting to piss him off. He couldn’t risk everything he had worked for over whatever petty interest he was developing in her. He had to get his shit together.

Yuri’s stomach turned at the last bite he took of his meat and he decided he would be sick if he ate anything more. _I need a damned drink_. Throwing away most of his meal, Yuri set out to his room to drink however much rum was needed to knock himself out for the night.

* * *

[“Okay, we now know he most definitely heard you the other night,” the goddess started as soon as Byleth had closed the door to her room.

“That sly little… Ugh!” The mercenary chose to smack her head against her door instead of cursing her student. “Teenagers are so stupid...”

“You do realize you’re probably the same age, right?” Sothis stopped her little rant before it got too far. “He’s also older than most of your other students, so you can’t blame it on that.”

It was true. And that was exactly the problem! Although she didn’t know how old she actually was, the age gap between herself and her students was plainly close. Of course she noticed that Yuri, being a little older than most of his classmates, was even closer to her in age. Byleth didn’t want to give herself a reason to justify the things that had been happening between them. She much preferred to continue drawing the line between professor and student as if she were significantly older.

Taking pity on the turmoil in her mind, Sothis opted to drop the subject for now. “Well, no use thinking about that now. You have a battle to win soon.”

“Yes, a battle.” Byleth made her way to the desk cluttered with papers and books. “And two weeks worth of assignments to grade.”

“Let’s get to it then. I’ll help you grade, I love that!” The goddess’ voice switched from motherly to mischievous in a flash.

“Alright, but I gotta remind you we can’t give zeroes to Sylvain just because you don’t like his hair...”]

* * *

Friday went by in a flash of paperwork, faculty meetings, and some fishing. Byleth spent Saturday morning making sure the weapons were in top shape and packed, then all the students of the Officers’ Academy had marched off to Gronder Field at midday. Later that evening, they had regrouped one more time to go over the strategy. Finally, they were mere moments away from the grand Battle of the Eagle and Lion.

“Are you feeling confident, professor?” Dimitri asked in a surprisingly relaxed tone for the situation.

“Very,” she answered with a ghost of a smile on her pale pink lips. It lit up the blonde’s eyes.

“Excellent. That’s most reassuring,” the heir to the Kingdom throne continued in a voice so regal that his classmates couldn’t help but be enthralled by it, the professor included. “We can win. I’m sure of it. After all, it’s not as though we’ve spent the last half-year sitting idle.”

The Blue Lions agreed with their liege, their faces bright with motivation and something akin to devotion for their leader. Even the Ashen Wolves were feeling it… well, almost all of them.

Dimitri continued with his azure eyes fixed on his professor. “And I’m feeling stronger this moon. As though I could conquer a thousand opponents all on my own.”

 _Ugh, seriously?_ Yuri tried his best not to roll his eyes at the tiring little speech. Byleth’s answer brought him back into to the moment.

“That’s reassuring, Dimitri,” she said with a full smile now. It made the prince’s eyes come alive with a strong emotion Yuri didn’t want to name even in his mind.

“You can depend on me. I hope you know that,” Dimitri continued, never once shifting his gaze from his professor, who looked content enough. Excited, even. “Well, it’s about time for the battle to begin. Everyone, brace yourselves...”

Inspired by their brave leader, one by one each of the Blue Lions made their pledge to do their best and attain the victory. Even the Abyssians joined in, clearly drawn by the sense of camaraderie and the excitement of the battle.

But it was still a bit too much for Yuri to stomach. He had said a half-hearted line, which went largely unnoticed. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have anything to say. _A thousand opponents, huh?_

“Professor,” Yuri touched Byleth’s armored elbow lightly as she began to make her way to the designated position, following after her students. “Do you have a minute? I have a proposition.”

Byleth’s pulse spiked. She vaguely wondered why Yuri seemed to be the only one to make her blood rush through her veins to the point it made her dizzy.

“Yes?” She said coolly although she was still enveloped by the energy radiated from DImitri’s impassioned speech.

“I will bring you the victory of this battle,” Yuri spoke in a relaxed tone although his amethyst eyes were bursting with an emotion that Byleth didn’t know how to read. It nonetheless rooted her to her spot and so she didn’t have time to react when he began advancing towards her. He leaned into her and tucked her hair behind her ear to whisper. “And I want a kiss as my prize.”


	8. Late Night Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some stressful situations these past weeks and I took to writing as a way to let off some steam, so this chapter ended up being much longer than anticipated. I apologize if it's tiring to read but I really liked how things turned out and I didn't want to ruin the flow by splitting into two chapters.
> 
> Thank you for continuing to read and for leaving your comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
> 
> This chapter references Azure Moon's chapter 7, Field of the Eagle and Lion, although there is some deviation.

_ Albinean berries. _

The Blue Lions waited on their designated positions for the trumpet to signal the start of this most commended battle. From up high, Lady Rhea and Seteth observed with solemn expressions. Or they probably did, as they were too far for their features to be visible. Although all three houses were ready to jump into action, the academy officials observed a ceremonial suspense.

The air was heavy with mixed feelings of excitement and worry. Byleth clearly saw both emotions on the faces of her students and, despite the distance that separated them, she knew the students of the other houses looked much the same. But for the life of her, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her mind was locked on one thought alone.

_ He smelled of sweet Albinean berries. _

To her right, Dimitri was mouthing words that her brain refused to process. To her left, Yuri was swinging his steel sword in one of those elaborate patterns that rarely failed to take his enemies by surprise. But Byleth made a conscious effort not to let her eyes linger on him lest he flashed her an evil smirk and made her forget the battle strategy. So she waited for the signal to advance.

_ Do his pink lips taste of Albinean berries? _

The trumpets thundered through the battlefield and, with simultaneous signals from the regal house leaders, the Battle of the Eagle and Lion began. The sounds of cavalry and blades slicing the air flipped a switch in Byleth’s mind and her face was swiftly hidden beneath the mask of the Ashen Demon.

* * *

Despite her reputation, Byleth wasn’t particularly into violence. A good match did thrill her but her tendencies were far from those of, say, the Death Knight. This battle, however, had been quite a treat. She found the saying of time flying when you’re having fun to be true as the battle went by in a flash. A distinctly  _ purple _ flash.

But said purple had had to be set aside quickly. Right before the end of the battle, Ingrid had gotten too close to take out Dorothea, giving Bernadetta a window for a shot that only a promising archer such as herself could’ve landed. That is, if Sylvain hadn’t rushed to get in the way of the fateful arrow and the blonde pegasus knight. It hit in between his black armor plates and lodged deep in his shoulder joint. Bernadetta must’ve pierced an artery as the redhead quickly lost enough blood to almost stagger off his horse despite Mercedes’ swift healing spell. Once Dimitri was within range to neutralize Edelgard, the last commander standing, Byleth had rushed in to get Sylvain off his mount while calling for Dedue to help. Then the victory trumpet had sounded. Right after rushing the Kingdom noble to Manuela’s side, Byleth had had to console the poor archer, who was hysterical, sobbing and babbling about being an unmarriageable murderer, whatever that meant.

When she finally made it back into the battlefield, the enticing “purple flash” was nowhere in sight. Instead, the house leaders had quickly demanded her attention. They were rambling about each other’s skills and uttering half-hearted praises, or at least Edelgard was, but Byleth was barely listening. With adrenaline still spiking her blood, her mind kept summoning the image of lavender lightning striking foe after foe. Yuri had been mighty as he moved to take out enemy units in strategic positions, guarded by Balthus’ wall of muscle and supported by Constance’s and Hapi’s powerful spells. It had taken him less than five minutes to take over the center stronghold without engaging Bernadetta, securing the upper hand for the Blue Lions for the remainder of the battle. Not content with that, the Ashen Wolves had kept up their impressive assault  _ and _ managed to stay within the limits of the strategy. They were truly a sight to behold.

[“They, or  _ he _ …?”]

The sole memory of Yuri dancing around his adversaries, dealing critical after critical blow, caused a distinct warmth to pierce right through Byleth. It made her mouth dry, especially at the thought of his request at the beginning of the battle. It was undeniable that the victory had been attained in no small part thanks to his prowess.

“...right?” Dimitri was saying something and looking at Byleth, who was completely clueless. Her face must’ve given her away as the prince cleared his throat to catch her attention. “All three houses did extremely well. Don’t you agree, Professor?”

“They were nothing,” Byleth replied without a second thought as the image of Yuri’s nimble stance still danced in her mind.

“It only seemed that way because of the caliber of your command,” Dimitri continued, completely unaware that, in his professor’s mind, the victory was Yuri’s as much as hers. “Even now, we must not allow...”

The three leaders continued commending each other while Byleth kept trying to shake the image of the Ashen Wolf off her mind. Luckily, she caught the change in conversation, which was now about an inter-house feast back at the monastery.

“I have no objections to a celebratory feast. And you, Professor?” Dimitri asked.

Byleth lifted her gaze to meet Dimitri’s but a flash of lavender behind him caught her attention instead. Yuri was leaning against a nearby tree and running a hand through his probably soft-as-silk tresses, watching her with a smug expression on his battle-sweaty face. He had popped the bindings of his thief shirt open. The thought of Albinean berries made a quick return into Byleth’s mind, shaping a smirk on her own lips.

“We’ll celebrate our victory,” she replied to Dimitri’s request although she meant something else entirely. She was sure Yuri was within earshot, as he threw his head back and laughed.

“Oh! Well, I’m not sure that’s the point...” Dimitri’s face reddened. At the exact same time, unbeknownst to the prince, Yuri winked at Byleth, which caused her smirk to morph into a full smile. “Uh, Professor? Was that… a joke?”

Byleth was forced to finally focus back on the blond prince, with the smile still gracing her pale pink lips. It gave him the wrong idea about what she was thinking but it lit up his face and she couldn’t bring herself to dispel his enthusiasm.

“You look so… happy. I love seeing you like this,” Dimitri continued. His expression softened and, for the first time, a sharp flash of…  _ something _ struck Byleth as she looked into deep blue eyes. It almost made her forget about the Ashen Wolf. “I suppose that look on your face is just another boon from this glorious day. Perhaps the best one of all.”

From a safe distance and still undetected, Yuri’s smirk faded from his glossy lips. The change in Byleth’s demeanor didn’t go unnoticed, and neither was the fact that she didn’t look at him again before heading off with the house leaders, her attention focused on the Kingdom prince. A lesser man would have despaired at such dismissiveness but Yuri was no lesser man. He was a patient man and one that knew the scales of fate tipped in favor of perseverance. 

* * *

It was dark by the time the students and faculty marched back into Garreg Mach. Claude hadn’t been lying when he said they would have a “fairly regular feast” for a celebration in the dining hall. Yes, the food tasted heavenly with how exhausted everyone was, but the whole thing was rather dull for the occasion. 

True to the spirit of an inter-house meal, the students had mixed up at the tables and enjoyed lively conversation for a while, but it was soon dying down. Biding his time, Yuri had decided to leave Byleth alone for now and had found a seat next to Claude, with whom he had instantly hit it off. Platonically, of course… although he wasn’t sure how  _ platonic _ it’d truly be if his treacherous mind wasn’t so busy entertaining the idea of claiming his prize. Especially when he noticed the object of his desire slipping out of the dining hall, closely followed by that damned blond hound.

“Excuse me for a second, Claude.” Yuri stood up from his seat, drawing a puzzling look from the Alliance heir. “I’ll be right back.”

Without further explanation, Claude observed as Yuri quickly scanned the tables before making his way to where Sylvain was making Dorothea giggle despite her attempts to appear put off. The redhead had miraculously recovered from his little injury and was back chasing skirts. 

* * *

Byleth reveled in the cool air as she stepped outside the dining hall. Both the battle and the march back to Garreg Mach had left her quite sweaty and everyone had forgone a change of clothes in lieu of eating first. Now that her ravenous hunger was sated, she was considering taking a quick bath before turning in for the night… although that would do very little to get her mind off a lavender-haired someone she had actively avoided through the meal. She had sat with Lorenz and Ferdinand at first, although their tiring discourse of  _ noble this, noble that _ , quickly tired her enough to find a seat with Hapi and Lindhardt instead for the remainder of the meal. Dimitri had been at her side initially, still looking at her with adoring eyes, but he had been dragged away by his peers at some point. 

Byleth let out a sigh. It was frustrating that she couldn’t stop herself from giving her attention to the leader of the Ashen Wolves even when she had twelve other students to look after.  _ Brilliant _ students, at that. Everyone had given their all and contributed their fair share to the victory of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion and yet… she couldn’t remember much of what they all had done. She had been too caught up in Yuri’s display of skill. She knew everyone had performed marvelously because she had not resorted to using the Divine Pulse. Granted, she had decided she wouldn’t, as this was a practice battle, but she hadn’t even considered it. Her Blue Lions had advanced with calculated strength and… she hadn’t been able to think of much besides that damned scent of sweet berries.

[“Does that make me a bad professor?” She asked the goddess, who had been oddly quiet throughout the day.]

A deep but youthful voice cut off Sothis’ reply, if she had intended to give one. Byleth turned around to face Dimitri.

His face was radiant and it caused the foreign feeling that had assaulted her earlier to return. Was it guilt? Although he was always polite and kind, Byleth could tell the prince was plagued by something that forced him to isolate himself. It seemed to be a burden that threatened to crush him at times. It worried her but today she had seen a bit of that weight lift off. He had been so expressive with her... and she hadn’t been able to give him her full attention. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure what she should be feeling about Dimitri complimenting her and saying he  _ loved _ seeing her happy. She couldn’t concentrate with Yuri constantly on her mind, but she knew she needed to be in the moment now with the blond youth, if to at least redeem a bit of her behavior today.

“I had a wonderful time today, Professor,” Dimitri said with a bright smile on his pale face. “As usual, I was astonished by how much you ate in the name of celebration.”

Byleth let out a chuckle at the memory of the six servings of pheasant she had gorged on and it made his smile widen. She hadn’t noticed before how bright and contagious it could be, as he rarely smiled like this. 

“Really though, I must thank you again,” he continued. "Our victory in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was thanks, in no small part, to you.”

“We all did our part.”

“Yes, that is true, but it was your instruction that allowed us to reach our full potential.” Dimitri paused abruptly and his blue eyes broke contact with hers as if ashamed. “I feel silly admitting this now, but when you first came to lead our class… you unnerved me.”

The blond prince went on to talk about how he thought perhaps Byleth didn’t care for the Blue Lions as she didn’t show emotion toward them at first. It stung a little, but he quickly noted how she had changed. She had  _ felt _ that change. Since becoming their professor, Byleth had gotten to experience many emotions that had been unknown to her before. It made her feel warm and…

“I’ve seen the glow of humanity in your eyes and in your actions countless times,” Dimitri said and that word tugged at something deep within her.

[“...human” Sothis whispered in that forlorn tone that often overtook her. “It makes you feel human.”]

Dimitri regarded her with eyes clouded by a strong emotion she felt helplessly drawn to.

“I am truly grateful to have had the chance to spend this time with you, Professor. I… I wan--”

“Getting cozy, are we?” Sylvain made a sudden appearance, killing the words at the tip of Dimitri’s tongue. “Mind if I cut in?”

“That’s enough, Sylvain,” Dedue’s chastising voice resounded, eliciting a laugh from the rest of the Blue Lions and Ashen Wolves that had arrived without Byleth noticing and were now circling her and Dimitri. They quickly engaged in collective teasing, everyone wanting a bit of the professor’s attention.

Although the intimacy had been broken, Dimitri’s usually hard lazuli eyes retained the warmth Byleth had seen during their time alone. She might have lost herself in them if another heated, almost smoldering, gaze hadn’t fallen upon her. Yuri’s eyes had an undisguised predatory quality to them and he wasn’t backing down even though they were in full view of his classmates. Looking at his impish grin, Byleth quickly realized he had orchestrated this little set up to prevent her from slipping his grasp. What she didn’t know was that the real motive had been to cut in into her private talk with the prince. It made her laugh nonetheless.

“Since we’re having such a good time, why don’t we get to the  _ real _ party down in Abyss?” Balthus proposed, looking at Yuri for approval. “That alright, boss?”

“Perfectly alright, friend,” Yuri answered, to which everyone began cheering in anticipation, even Dimitri.

As the Ashen Wolves led the way down into Abyss, Byleth had a feeling that this “real party” thing had also been orchestrated by that lavender-haired tempter. Despite the alarm bells going off in her ears, she couldn’t stop herself from following her students.

[“Oh, this will be so fun!” Sothis squealed, back to her cheerful self, causing Byleth to giggle herself a bit.]

* * *

Byleth’s face was so hot she was sure her cheeks were bright red. She was puzzled at how Abyssians managed to make drinks  _ this _ stiff. She would have to tip off her father for future drinking binges. Although she wasn’t even close to being tipsy, as it took massive amounts of hard liquor to achieve that, her head was swimming a little from the heat that rose up from her belly. 

If for some reason Seteth decided to walk into Abyss tonight, he would lose his shit at seeing half the Blue Lions drunk and messing around at the Wilting Rose Inn, which was actually more of a tavern than an inn. The stiff advisor would definitely not be pleased to see Byleth nursing a tall glass of an oddly-colored drink that could get a normal person drunk with just the smell.

“How’s that  _ flametongue _ , professor?” Balthus asked, referring to her drink, as he approached the bar to exchange his empty mug of beer for a full one. It was his seventh or eighth, she reckoned. 

“Flaming,” Byleth deadpanned. It ripped a hard laugh from her tall student.

The first thing Balthus had done when guiding his classmates into Abyss was give them a grand tour of the general area, which thrilled them. Byleth guessed that most of the students at the Officers Academy had lived sheltered lives and had never set foot on slums such as these, as nobles categorized the place. Byleth thought the word hardly did any justice to what it was though, and she deemed this a great opportunity to expand their horizons. Or that would be her excuse for this escapade if she ever needed one.

The second thing Balthus had done in Abyss was order drinks for everyone at the inn. Before anyone took a sip, though, the Blue Lions looked at their professor questioningly. It had only taken her a few moments to give in, though: they had just won the legendary Battle of the Eagle and Lion, they were entitled to a little celebration. As for the Golden Deer who had joined in, Byleth thought a drink was a good consolation prize. Her only condition had been to exert moderation. Of course no one had protested.

At first, she had tried to sneak away... drinking with her teenage students was probably poor judgement, but Sylvain had persuaded her to stay, saying she should be there to call the party off if it got too far. And so she was leaning against the far corner of the counter, still nursing her first drink: some kind of light beer with a shot of a spicy hard liquor she had never had before.

Despite Byleth’s feeling that this whole thing was part of a scheme for Yuri to corner her, he hadn’t approached her at all. He had been busy exchanging magic tricks with Claude, who seemed to be strangely interested. Those two were two birds of a feather and their merry fraternizing was worrisome to some degree. The rest of her students were doing great for what was probably the first time drinking alcohol for most of them: Dedue and Raphael were arm wrestling, with Dimitri and Leonie playing bets (yes, Leone was cleaning the prince out of petty gold); Ashe was telling vivid stories about knights to Hapi, who had been making fun at first but was now engrossed; Flayn was making Felix repeat intricate patterns of five finger fillet with a butter knife and, strangely enough, Felix seemed to be quite invested; Sylvain and Ingrid were leaning against each other and going over his heroic move during the battle over and over again; Mercedes and Constance were well beyond tipsy and telling an equally tipsy Annette stories of when they were younger; and Balthus and Hilda were catching up on what they had been up to in the years they hadn’t seen each other. With a bit of alcohol to loosen them up, everyone seemed to be having a relaxing time without causing a ruckus. They were truly a great bunch.

[“How do you think he’ll make his move?”

Byleth didn’t have to ask who, she knew the goddess referred to that lavender-haired devil. She had been wondering the same herself.

“I don’t think he will,” she responded while leaning her elbows back onto the counter, her head thrown back and her eyes closed. “He’s been busy with Claude since the banquet.”

“Come on, we both know he won’t let you off so easily,” Sothis continued. Her voice was cheerful as usual, but there was that tone of melancholy again. “If I had a body of my own, I would corner him myself and--”

The mercenary interrupted. “You really like him, huh?”

“As if you don’t!”]

Still with her eyes closed, Byleth twirled the question around in her head, still unable to really answer it either to Sothis or to herself.

“Who’s ready for a tour of the lower levels of Abyss?” Claude and Yuri asked loud enough to interrupt their classmates’ activities and catch their attention, including Byleth’s. She opened her eyes and noticed Claude’s arm resting comfortably around Yuri’s shoulders. “Yuri Leclerc will be our tour guide. Tell them what we’ll be seeing, buddy.”

“We’ll take a look at the waterways that run below Garreg Mach, although I would advise against any fishing or skinny dipping; we’ll rummage for treasure in the Scrap Heap; we’ll walk around the decrepit classroom of the Ashen Wolves; and we’ll examine forbidden arcane artifacts in the abandoned Wayseer’s Room,” Yuri said in a tone that reminded Byleth of a shady shopkeeper trying to lure buyers into a questionable transaction. “If you’re lucky, we might get to inspect the Wolves’ personal quarters, too.”

Byleth took one last big sip of her spicy drink to try and ground herself. At the mention of the visit to the personal quarters, Yuri had boldly looked and winked at her. That would’ve made her nervous if everyone had been more sober, but they weren’t. Nobody else had caught the less than subtle signal. She knew Yuri was reeling her in slowly and shamelessly… and she couldn’t do anything but follow as he led the group deeper into the underground.

* * *

Yuri’s tactics were truly something, both on the battlefield and outside. It didn't take a genius to realize that he was picking out his classmates one by one, letting them fall behind the group at each location. By the time they reached the Wayseer’s Room, only Hilda, Blathus, and Claude remained.  _ That sneaky rascal _ ! 

“A powerful mistress of the arcane once worked her oracles in this very room,” Yuri said in a low voice while pointing at the artifacts on the table. “They say she could accurately divine the method of acquiring endless riches or the fate of individuals… even of entire nations.”

As the words left his mouth, the eyes of Yuri’s classmates lit up with a mixture of curiosity and hope. They needed just a little push to be completely hooked.

“Although her skills were unparalleled, it is said that the divination power came not from her but from these very objects… although it’s been years since anyone has been able to unlock their potential.”

With that last bit of information, both Claude and Balthus reached in for the instruments, with Hilda following suit out of pure curiosity. 

“You don’t mind if I… uh… try something, do you?” Claude asked the Abyssian thief with a careful look before picking up the crystal ball. He had slurred his words slightly. He would normally shrug off these practices as bogus but the drinks lowered his guard. By the looks of it, Balthus was having the exact same thoughts too.

“Try to your heart’s content, my friend,” Yuri responded with a calculated smile. 

With that, the lavender-haired man made his way back to the door, where Byleth was leaning against the wooden frame. She was smiling at the simple yet brilliant cunning of the gorgeous man that ran Abyss.

“Seems we lost everyone. Care to move on to the last stop?” He asked with that same smile that was careful not to be presumptuous. 

“And that is...?”

“My personal quarters, of course,” he answered briskly. “And Balthus’, as we are roommates.”

That piqued Byleth’s interest, but she realized too late that  _ that  _ was exactly his game.

“Really?” Her eyes widened slightly. “I didn’t take you for a sharer.”

“Heh, I’m not,” Yuri corrected his professor as he guided her out of the Wayseer’s Room. “But it’s not like I had much of a choice.”

He led her to the shared room just a door down the hall and Byleth looked around without reservation. 

"It's neater than I expected," she said right as her eyes fell on the numerous empty bottles scattered around one of the beds. "Your side at least."

"Seriously?" He absentmindedly tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "Whatever gave you that impression?"

She chuckled in favor of an answer and continued inspecting his carefully made bed, all done in silver and purple, of course. Then she moved on to his desk, where a series of intriguing books were nicely arranged, but her eyes lingered on his ornate mirror and makeup bottles.

"I never learned how to put on makeup," Byleth commented as she turned a small glass container of purple powder in her hand. "I don't know how you find the time to do it everyday."

"My mother taught me when I was younger. It's a habit now," Yuri said as he stood close behind her, running a hand across some expensive-looking brushes lovingly. Byleth had the feeling they held some significance to him. 

"I never knew my mother. I don't know if she wore makeup."

"That's a shame," Yuri offered in a cool voice. He tried not to wince although the topic was close to his heart. "I could teach you, if you'd like."

"I'm not sure I'd have the patience," the mercenary answered as she sidestepped him before he got any closer. She may have fallen for the trick to get her into the bedroom, but she would do her best not to fall for anything else tonight. "Thank you, though."

["Ugh, why is he playing so dumb?!" Sothis complained in Byleth's mind. "He's not making any moves!"]

Byleth wondered the same but she was rather grateful things hadn't turned awkward so far. 

"The offer stands, you know? In case you ever change your mind."

Against her better judgment, Byleth turned to face Yuri and her suspicions were confirmed: the playful glint in his amethyst eyes told her he wasn't talking about this offer about makeup. He was referring to his offer the night at the baths. His very inappropriate offer to join him for  _ a quick soak _ . A surge of heat hit her hard and she quickly made for the door, trying to hide her face with her blue hair. She knew she was blushing and she didn't know why. She had never lost her cool like this before, not even that damned night at the bath house.

"It's late, I'm off to bed," she mumbled barely audibly. "Thanks for the tour."

As she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, Byleth thought she was safe. But the firm grasp on her forearm and the careful strength that shoved her against the stone wall quickly burned that thought away. Not quite knowing how he had managed to sneak up on her, she found herself trapped against the wall with Yuri's slender but strong arms at both sides of her face, blocking her escape. She was vaguely reminded of their little adventure while hiding from Camilla's murderous retainers.

"You can really hold your liquor," Yuri teased, inching his face slightly closer to hers. 

"You can too," she looked away, trying not to be distracted by his sweet yet masculine scent. His damned breath still smelled of berries, even after drinking. "Did you even drink, Yuri?"

He lost it at the sound of his name on her lips so freaking close.

"Enough games, Professor _ , _ " he said in a low and hushed voice although there was no one else around to hear. "Did I not bring you the victory of the battle today?"

The blue-haired professor tilted her head upward to meet his gaze. It was clouded and she vaguely wondered if her own eyes mirrored his, although the thought didn't finish forming as she was using all of her self-restraint not to shift her gaze down to his very inviting pink lips. His body heat was extremely distracting too. 

"You were impressive, yes..." Byleth asserted in a low voice that matched his. "But so were Constance… and Hapi… and Balthus. And all your classmates."

Yuri let out a sharp nasal chuckle that was anything but amused. "And Dimitri?"

As the name fell from his lips, Yuri mentally kicked himself. As if this wasn't risky enough, he was saying too much.

"Yes, Dimitri too," she confirmed with a puzzled look that indicated she didn't know why he was singling the prince out. "He dealt the finishing blow to both Claude and Edelgard."

"I know.  _ I _ cleared the way for  _ his highness  _ to do that." The thief moved as close as it was possible without actually making contact, although he wasn't sure how long his self-control would last. Her breath spiced from the drink mingled with his sweet one. "You know I took out more enemy students than anyone, yeah?"

A vivid image of Yuri's graceful form decimating his opponents wormed its way into Byleth's mind and she tried to suppress it before he noticed, but he was too damn perceptive for his own good.

"You did," Byleth conceded without breaking contact with his smoldering gaze. "But you're gonna have to work harder than that for  _ that  _ kind of reward."

As the words registered in his racing mind, Byleth placed both hands on his toned chest and pushed him back, easily escaping his grasp as he put up no resistance.

"Good night, Leclerc," she concluded without looking back, retreating light on her feet. "Keep an eye on your classmates for me, will you?"

The professor disappeared into the dark hallway, leaving Yuri with a frustrating need unfulfilled and constrained in his tight trousers. It took him a brief moment to recover from the biting sting of his failure, and another to compose himself.

"It's a challenge, then, Professor," Yuri mused to himself, grinning as he made his way around Abyss to collect his classmates, as his infuriating professor had requested. 

  
  



	9. Dazed Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, we'll see Constance's revenge over her ruined fan on this chapter. Yuri will suffer a little bit but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.
> 
> This chapter happens right after ch 8, The Flame in the Darkness but before the next month's mission is assigned. This also briefly references Constance and Yuri's support conversations, so spoiler warning if you haven't seen them yet. 
> 
> I thank you all very much for continuing to read and leave your comments. I hope you enjoy where our heroes go in this little story.

"I don't think this is safe, Shady Lady."

"Don't call me that! And stop complaining," the blonde mage snapped. She was holding a smoking test tube. "Show me the adventurous spirit of the Savage Mockingbird!"

"The what…?" Yuri feigned ignorance, although he knew that wouldn't hold much longer. This was the third time Constance pressed on the subject. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? Perhaps we shouldn't be experimenting today. You seem… uh… unwell..."

Constance took a deep breath and locked her blue eyes on his with an eerie intensity. 

"Did you, or did you not, ruin my precious feathered fan?"

"Ugh, not again…" He brought his hands to his face in utter desperation. "I told you I am sorry. I will get you a fancier, more expensive one. Gold, silver, or platinum, your choice. Jeweled. One of a kind, worthy of you."

"Really?" Constance set the test tube on its rack so hard that some thick grey liquid spilled onto the table with a gross-sounding _plop_. It made Yuri's stomach lurch. "Just what sort of artifact do you reckon could replace one of the few precious heirlooms of House Nuvelle I have left? Proof of my lineage, the only sort of inheritance I can lay claim to…"

A heavy silence set around them and he couldn't bear her reproachful gaze. He felt so stupid for having lost his self-restrain at the sight of Dimitri and the professor! But he was not one to run from his mistakes, stupid as they may be.

"Alright, alright." Yuri lifted his eyes and looked at her with a softened expression. "Explain to me what we're doing again."

"Wonderful! First, let's see..."

As Constance went over the experiment with renewed enthusiasm, Yuri questioned how honest the heirloom and sad act were, but he was not one to go back on his word.

Yuri picked up the test tube and held it against the candlelight but the substance was too thick to see through. It was disgustingly warm and still smoking. "I do hope you know some advanced white magic to fix me when this inevitably poisons me, Constance..."

* * *

Byleth sat on the deck of the fishing pond with her bare feet dangling onto the water. That was probably scaring the fish away but she didn't mind; the cool water was soothing and she was doing little more than holding the rod and looking at the rippling water, lost in thought. She didn't feel like doing anything on her day off.

["Still worried about what happened in Remire?" Sothis inquired in a soft tone that contrasted with her usually cheery one. "Or about Dimitri's violent fit?"

"Yes..."

"Yes _what?_ " There was that bossy tone to the goddess' voice. "Remire or Dimitri?" 

"Remire," Byleth answered out loud. There was no one around to hear. "And Dimitri. And everything..."]

Sothis understood what she meant. It felt like a lot was happening too fast, like something carefully hidden was violently making its way out into the open. She knew Byleth was unfamiliar with the feeling of fear, but Sothis was not. It was threatening to take her in its cold grasp when she thought about what was unraveling around her. But she didn't know _what_ exactly was unraveling. For moments, she could almost glimpse it, but it blurred before she could figure it out. Her mind was foggy and the fact that Rhea had revealed the name of the goddess to be her own did little to clarify anything. It was worrisome and scary.

But Byleth wasn't scared.

["You're angry," Sothis stated. "Your father was right. You've been angry since that business at Remire village."]

How could she not be angry? The kind people who had taken her and her father in in their time of need had been used and slaughtered like cattle. Finding Tomas, or Solon, amidst the chaos had only aggravated the situation, as it showed that the enemy had infiltrated the Church. There must be a big reason… one no one was telling her about. And that Flame Emperor jerk… what part did he play in this? Byleth knew her students were being led right into danger but it seemed like neither Rhea nor Seteth were doing anything to stop it. Quite the opposite!

["We're putting everyone in danger," Byleth whispered in her mind.

"You are referring to the Kingdom prince, right?"]

Again, Sothis was right. Seeing Dimitri unhinged like that had chilled her blood. It made Byleth want to pursue Solon and his kind and tear them apart with her own hands, much like Dimitri had incited his classmates to do. She had known there was something lurking beneath the prince's mind but she never imagined it was a monster of rage. That was one threat she could clearly see and one that she would do her best to stop. In her years as a mercenary, she had seen what bloodlust and a desire for vengeance did to people and she wanted to spare Dimitri that fate. She _needed_ to save him from that _._ He had too much potential to be consumed by bloodlust.

["We'll protect them," Sothis interrupted Byleth's bleak train of thought. "I promise we will. I'll lend you my power to protect everyone."

The mercenary felt oddly comforted. "Thank you."

"Now cheer up, child, and tell me…" The goddess' voice took on that mischievous tone she reserved for their now usual girl talks. "Does the wild one have a competitor now?"

"What?" Byleth adjusted the fishing rod in her hand although she had made no effort to pull a fish out of the water so far.

"Don't play dumb! Remember I see and feel everything you do. I know how you felt when Dimitri approached you after getting back from Remire."

"It's not what you think."

"Really?" The goddess challenged. "You wanted to hold him. I felt it. Do you deny it?"

A distinct warmth rose from Byleth's belly up to her neck and face. It made Sothis laugh, lifting Byleth's gloomy mood a little.

"It's not like that," the professor tried to explain. "I just felt so sorry that Dimitri had to live the day his family was murdered again at Remire. It made sense that he reacted so violently… he's still suffering from trauma from that day at Duscur. I wanted to protect him, that's all."

"I know, but you don't feel like that about all your students, do you?"

"O-of course I do," Byleth refuted. "I want to protect them all."

Sothis laughed. "Yes, yes, I know."

"Besides, Dimitri is too young to see him that way. Don't get the wrong idea," Byleth added and it was true. As much as she might've felt an urge to put her arms around the blond prince, she wasn't into younger men, much less teenagers. It was more of an overprotective feeling, very unlike what a certain lavender-haired swordsman made her feel. 

"Right, right…" Sothis meant to add that Yuri wasn't that young, but she refrained. She knew the thought was very present in Byleth’s mind. 

FInally giving up on pretending to fish, the blue-haired mercenary put her rod away and laid down onto the deck, her feet still in the cool water and her eyes closed. She let out a long sigh. These sudden surges of emotion as of late were exhausting and she suspected that's why she had fainted upon returning from the mission at Remire. 

Byleth had tried not to think about him but now that Sothis had mentioned him, her mind was occupied by thoughts of Yuri. After the celebration down in Abyss he had pretty much left her alone. Although it may just be that things had gone south so quickly with the business at Remire that there just hadn't been much room for focusing on him and his little game. Either way, she was glad that he hadn't pushed her into any more compromising situations but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't a bit disappointing. She wondered if his interest had waned already… or perhaps he had found someone else to keep him entertained?

["Ah, you're right… We've seen him around that opera singer lately," Sothis taunted but Byleth said nothing.]

Although there had been a lot on her mind in the past few weeks, she vaguely remembered seeing Yuri and Dorothea together drinking tea, eating dessert in the dining hall, and even shopping around town. But they were classmates, of course they'd hang out sometimes. It was actually healthier for him to hang out with his peers anyway.

["Speaking of… do you hear that?" The goddess brought the melodious voice to Byleth's attention: Dorothea was singing somewhere nearby.]

Byleth sat up and opened her eyes to look around for the songstress. And there she was, walking down the stairs from the dining hall with her arm locked around Yuri's. Although they weren't walking by very near, the mercenary caught a whiff of Dorothea's flowery and feminine perfume. She tried not to scowl.

"Hello, professor," Dorothea called out when she noticed Byleth's blue eyes on them, but she didn't wait for an answer, dragging Yuri along. He didn't even look her way.

She turned her attention back to the rippling water. It was good that her students were getting along. _Good._ She would try to enjoy her free day too.

["Aren't you going to follow them?" Sothis asked as if that was the normal thing to do in this situation. Byleth wondered, as she had never been in this predicament before.

"I'd rather not."

"Sometimes you're no fun, you know that?" If they had been face to face, the mercenary was sure the goddess would have a childish pout on her face.]

Trying to put the image of the songstress pressing Yuri's arm into her generous bosom off her mind, Byleth grabbed the rod again and began fishing in a fashion that one could only describe as aggressive.

* * *

_Damn you, Constance!_ Yuri muttered to himself for the nth time, leaning against the wall as his vision blurred slightly. Despite his reputation as a swindler and cheater, he was not the type of man to leave debts unpaid, much less to his allies. As close as he had come to saying _fuck this shit,_ he had gone through with the exact number of tests Constance had required. He had been at this for almost three hours now, two of them wasted with Dorothea and her endless babble about joining her for this or that opera. As if he would ever set foot on a stage again! And now his head was throbbing. _What the hell was in that potion, Constance?!_

As if the bad memories and nausea weren't enough, the professor had seen him when he had started feeling dizzy and Dorothea had taken her chance to get all over him. It made Yuri wonder if perhaps the concoction he drank had drained his luck. He had tried diligently to get a rise out of the professor for the past months but she had remained mostly impassive to his advances. However, he had noticed how Byleth was becoming more and more expressive, especially since the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. So much that he was now almost certain of her curiosity, if not interest, in him. So when she had seen him with Dorothea earlier, emotion had been easy to read in her gaze. To him, at least, as he had spent a lot of time trying to decipher those blue eyes lately. Although he couldn't name the emotion reflected in her eyes, he knew it was something akin to shock, perhaps something stronger. He would normally think this was perfect: a little jealousy could go a long way in coercing strong-willed individuals. But he would play it safe instead.

After his failed attempt to corner her in his room a few weeks ago, Yuri had given her some space so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. He knew there were sparks there but she was too guarded. It was just a matter of playing his cards carefully. Then he had realized how distressed she had become about the situation at that little village that he couldn't bring himself to distract her. An urge to protect and support her had taken over him instead: he had pretty much acted as her shield during the battle against those suspicious characters, clearing the way so she could save as many villagers as possible. The Ashen Wolf had quickly noticed Dimitri was too invested in piercing skulls with his lance to interfere so he had taken his chance. He had later tasked his best intel guy to dig as much as possible on both Solon and the Flame Emperor, but nothing had turned up yet. He had just begun scheming his next move to sway his professor's resolve when this happened. _Not my lucky day for once_ , he regretted bitterly.

Once Yuri had managed to pry Dorothea's hands off himself, he wanted to go find Byleth to clear any ideas she might've gotten about the whole thing, but his head was killing him and nausea threatened to bring him to his knees. He leaned against a pillar in the courtyard outside the classrooms and took several deep breaths, trying to will his head to stop spinning. When it subsided, he opened his eyes to find the object of his desire petting and feeding some cats, if the large basket full of fish at her side was any indication. He paused to stare for a moment: she was wearing her usual attire minus the tights, poleyn, and armlets. A single word formed in his mind as his eyes ran along her thighs, visibly muscled without the barrier of black lace: _delectable._ He ran a hand through his lavender bangs before strutting in her direction, the prospect of approaching her the push he needed to recover from his dizzy spell.

"Hauled quite a load, huh?" He started, crouching down next to Byleth and pushing the basket of fish closer to the cats and further away from himself. He disliked the idea of getting the stench of fish all over his white cape. 

"Uh-huh," she mumbled without shifting her attention from the cats.

Quickly realizing she meant to blow him off, Yuri pressed on. "If you were that bored, all you had to do was venture into Abyss to find me for a little escapade. We had fun last time, yeah?"

In spite of the rush of blood that made her ears ring, Byleth kept up her poker face. "You would've been rather preoccupied if I had."

The mercenary scratched a Riegan Tabby's head a few more times before standing up, intent on making a quick escape. _Like hell you will,_ Yuri thought as he bolted up after her.

"Are you jeal-- oh, fuck..." Dizziness hit him hard at the sudden motion, clouding his vision. He might've unwillingly played the damsel and faint, much to his distress, if Byleth's arms hadn't wrapped around his frame.

"Hey, you alright?" She supported him by the shoulders then snaked an arm under his and brought the other up to feel his forehead with her palm. "You're burning up."

"Yeah..." Yuri sounded out of breath as he was using all his strength to remain standing, however wobbly his legs felt. "I may have drunk a questionable concoction."

Not wanting to waste any time speaking, Byleth began leading him to the monastery's second level, knowing Yuri needed to be treated in the infirmary quickly if he had been poisoned. Despite her strength, the professor was struggling to get him up the stairs, stopping every other step and leaning against the stone wall for support lest they both sprawled onto the ground. Garreg Mach was usually crowded but of course the one time she actually needed something there wasn't a single knight around.

"I wasn't trying to hold her," Yuri said in a low voice as Byleth's hand pushed against his chest to keep him up. The pressure would be arousing if cold chills weren't running through him every ten seconds. "She was helping me down the stairs. I was already feeling sick then."

"Oh," was all the mercenary uttered, completely caught off-guard.

"An easy catch is not worth my time, you know?" He whispered breathlessly in her ear as he snaked his own hand around her waist _for_ _support_ , making the most of his dire situation. "I've set my sights higher, on a more challenging catch."

Byleth chuckled at the use of her own catch phrase, her blood already feeling lighter despite the situation. His fingertips briefly brushed the exposed skin between her shorts and tank top and it would've made Byleth gasp if she hadn't noticed his weak grasp. He needed medical attention immediately.

As soon as they managed to wobble into the infirmary, the professor eased Yuri onto one of the beds. Manuela was nowhere in sight, which wasn't surprising… She was usually drunk before sundown on the weekends. Byleth considered leaving to fetch a priest or bishop but Yuri's face was so red she feared he might pass out. Instead she began undoing his stuffy coat with deft fingers.

"I like where this is going," Yuri muttered as he tried and failed to sit up so she could slide the garment off.

"You're overheating," she stated as plainly as she could while struggling to pull the grey fabric off his slack frame, then moving on to unbutton his white dress shirt underneath.

"Indeed I am..."

Leaving Yuri on his sleeveless undershirt, Byleth turned away to pour some water onto a basin and fetch some towels, trying not to let his words get to her. He was probably just delirious anyway. Back at the bedside, her fingers brushed his hair aside to press a cool wet towel against his brow. His hair was incredibly silky, a fact Byleth's brain filed away for further consideration later. He sighed in relief.

"That's nice," Yuri whispered, a tad less breathless than before.

"Try to hold this in place. I'll go get Manuela."

"No--" He wrapped his hand around her bare forearm, vaguely enjoying the feel of her naked skin. "I'm already feeling better. I just need a minute."

She scanned his pale and sweaty face for any trace of deceit before sitting down, their bodies against each other on the small bed. Yuri allowed himself to close his eyes as Byleth continued to press cold towels against his forehead. The dip of the bed under her weight next to him was almost as soothing as the treatment. He was unaware of how her eyes wandered down his chest, curious about the muscles underneath the cotton undershirt. Once his temperature began to normalize, she fetched him a glass of cool water.

"What happened?"

"I fell victim to one of Constance's experiments," he said as he sat up slightly to take a sip.

Byleth couldn't help the curse that slipped her lips at the mental image. She had almost been a victim to the blonde's twisted genius too.

"What did she do to you?" She ventured to ask as she helped arrange the pillow under his head. It was unnecessary but she just couldn't stop the urge to run her fingers along his impossibly soft hair again.

"She infused some concoction with magic and made me drink it. Supposedly a charming serum, although it turned out to be as charming as Seteth."

Byleth laughed, causing Yuri to open his eyes and set them on her face. She looked really pretty and he wondered whether that was because of his fever or her lowered guard.

"Figures," the mercenary concluded. She continued to press the towel against his brow a few more times, wetting his lavender hair in the process. "What was it supposed to do?"

"Increase your charm to sway people's judgement," Yuri explained. He didn't sound as breathless anymore but his voice was still weak. "Rebuilding her fallen house would be a breeze if such a spell actually worked."

Byleth pondered the implications for a second, her eyebrows knitting slightly."That'd be dangerous."

Yuri chuckled. Of course Byleth had seen right through him: the first thing Yuri had thought when Constance told him of the magic-infused brew was using it for his own selfish motives.

"Not as dangerous as it was to test it," the Abyssian added, effectively piquing his professor's interest. "Constance had me ask Seteth to let Flayn borrow some books from the Shadow Library down in Abyss, ones from the fiction section."

Byleth let out a hearty laugh: she had glanced through that section once and, goodness, there were some raunchy titles there that would've made even Manuela blush like a prude noblewoman.

"His eyes took on a deadly hue and I swear he almost reached for his lance to impale me right in the middle of his office," Yuri continued and drew another laugh from her. It was a truly enticing sight, just like Dimitri had said before. "I was only able to slip away because Hanneman came in to complain Seteth's loud voice was disrupting his work next door. He's probably somewhere around the monastery hunting me down now."

"Yeah, most definitely."

Byleth stood up to replace the now lukewarm water with fresh one and restarted her cool compress treatment. They settled onto a comfortable silence that lasted a good five minutes or so, but there was a question that had been burning at the tip of Yuri's tongue the past few days.

"Professor… Are you feeling better?"

There was confusion in her eyes as she looked at him, waiting for clarification.

"You were quite… _affected_ at Remire," Yuri explained in a scrupulous tone. There was a mixture of surprise and embarrassment on her face. "I don't mean to pry. I had just never seen you so angry."

Byleth chose her next words carefully. "Yeah. They were good people. They took my father and I in when I was younger. They didn't deserve that end."

"No one does," Yuri agreed in a soft tone. "I know you'll do everything in your power to prevent that from happening to anyone else. And you can count on my strength for that, friend." 

Something in her chest tightened. It was a very different feeling from the one she had gotten at seeing Dimitri's despair, but a flashback from the last battle prevented her from dissecting the sensation. She vaguely remembered seeing Yuri at her side through the whole ordeal.

"During that battle, you..." The mercenary's voice faltered slightly, halting her ministrations. "You..."

She wanted to say he protected her but the words were caught in her throat for some reason. She had never allowed herself to feel so vulnerable, not even with her father.

"I saw a friend in need and I stepped in, that's all," Yuri added cooly, attempting to dispel the tension. "You were really pissed, swinging that sword of yours helter skelter. I thought you might get yourself killed if I didn't watch your back."

That made Byleth chuckle. He winked a perfectly painted eye and she looked away, busying herself with putting the water basin and towels away. Already feeling better, Yuri sat up on the bed but another dizzy spell overtook him immediately, this time stronger than the last two.

"Damn, not again..." Yuri panted as he held his head with both hands, his vision going completely black. Byleth was back at his side at once, helping him down onto the mattress again.

"Easy there," she soothed in that calm voice of hers. He heard it as if she was miles away. "I'll go get help."

"No!" Yuri sounded almost panicked and that threw Byleth off. He knew that if someone from the faculty examined him, they would quickly realize Constance was involved and she would get in trouble. He knew there were a few _faithful_ of the Church that would jump at the first opportunity to shove him and his wolves back down into Abyss like a dirty secret. "I'll be fine, just… stay with me."

Knowing firsthand how difficult it was to make oneself vulnerable to another, Byleth complied with the condition that if he didn't get any better within the next ten minutes, she would fetch Rhea herself if necessary. Yuri couldn't complain as he was too busy trying to steady his breathing while Byleth rummaged through the cabinet, trying to find something useful.

"Open up," Byleth commanded as she approached the swordsman with a tincture in her hand. "It's lavender."

Too weak to inspect the substance, Yuri parted his glossy lips and let his professor pour a few drops onto his parched tongue. It had an instantly soothing effect, so it must have been infused with magic. Although he felt significantly better, Yuri couldn't help the cold chills that coursed through him suddenly. He damned Constance's tonic again in his mind and Byleth grabbed a thin blanket from another bed, carefully removing his white boots before tucking him in. 

As he shivered under the blanket with his pink eyelids shut tight, Byleth began running her fingers along the tips of his lavender hair soothingly. Yuri shivered for a few minutes more before the combination of the blanket, the tincture, and her caress made him sigh in relief.

"A teacher and a nurse…? You're the epitome of every guy's fantasy, you know?" Yuri whispered as he looked at Byleth through heavy lids, his amethyst eyes clouded and his cheeks flushed. That stopped her fingers from smoothing his soft tresses.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Byleth finally asked the question that had haunted her for months now. She knew this was the worst moment to pester him for answers but she knew it would be a long time before Yuri was ever caught again without any of his many masks on.

The Ashen Wolf sighed, his eyes still fixed on hers. "I… don't know. I just can't help myself when I'm around you."

Although he wasn't saying much, the mercenary felt like he was revealing a lot. She had never had this sort of conversation before so she didn't have any expectations on what was happening or supposed to happen. She just waited for him to continue.

"The more I see you smile and get flustered when I tease you… or even get angry at your enemies, the more drawn I am to you." Yuri closed his eyes and sighed, reaching for her hand with his own and returning it to its place on his hair. She began caressing him silently again. "Professor, what are you doing to me?"

Byleth refrained from answering as Yuri drifted off into a light slumber, wanting to ask him that exact same question herself. But she just continued gently brushing her fingers through his tresses, transfixed on the sight of his perfectly handsome sleeping face and the silky feel on her fingertips.

* * *

An overpowering thirst forced the Lord of Abyss awake. The sight of an unfamiliar room made him sit up in alarm but he quickly recognized the infirmary and memories of the events of his last few hours returned to him.

"Oh, you're finally awake," Manuela casually pointed out as she walked into the room and made for the bed. "How are you feeling now?"

Yuri ignored the question and scanned the room a couple times with tired eyes. His vision was still blurry and his hair sticky from a mixture of sweat and water. "Where is--"

"Your professor?" The healer interrupted, finally catching Yuri's attention. "She just left. But don't worry, she told me all about it."

A flash of panic and hurt crossed his chest. Had she told Manuela? His face must've been a telltale as the monastery's head healer rubbed his forearm soothingly. It had the complete opposite effect on him.

"It's alright, dear," Manuela continued in a cloying voice. "It's very common for scorned girls to try to poison ex-lovers."

"Ex-- what?"

"I understand what it is to be so beautiful that it maddens other people," the songstress sighed as she kept touching Yuri's arm. "But don't you worry, dear. My white magic will fix you right up, and I'll even give you a charm to ward off love grudges and poison."

Manuela winked at him and Yuri could do little more than open and close his mouth silently, words faltering him. 

_Who knew you had it in you, Professor?_ Yuri thought as he began savoring Byleth's twisted sense of humor. All the while, Manuela babbled on about the various times she had been poisoned by the girlfriends of some of her most questionable liaisons, much to Yuri's chagrin.

_Consider my debt paid with interest, Constance._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I keep making fun of Seteth on this story… but just so you guys know, i love him. He is actually my biggest crush of the game right after Yuri :) Thanks for reading!


	10. Getting Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being patient and continuing to read. I hope that you enjoy this chapter. We're getting very close to the crucial events, where the good stuff happens. I'm sorry it's taken so long but I just really like a good slow burn and lots of details. I hope you're all staying safe :)
> 
> The beginning of this chapter happens during Yuri and Constance's paralogue "A Cursed Relic." I won't say much about what happens in the story in case anyone has yet to play it, just know that Yuri and Constance set out to retrieve a relic from a noble, Duke Gerth. The rest of the chapter happens around the time of the White Heron Cup. I am also making the competitors wear the dancer outfit during the cup.
> 
> I apologize for the short chapter but this is sort of just a transition for a very important one.

Byleth in the battlefield was such an enticing sight that Yuri was torn between staring as her already revealing top rode higher up her flat abdomen and covering her just so he could hear those delightful grunts as she swung her sword. He would definitely think about those images and sounds later, when he had some time alone. For now, he would enjoy the view: she wielded that terrifying sword fearlessly. Her insight was fearsome too, taking risks as if she knew what the outcome would be. Even now, suddenly swarmed by demonic beasts and suspicious mages, a commanding look from her blue eyes was all it took for Yuri to move to cover that useless Duke Gerth before he got eaten by one of those infernal things. Another damned noble he had to risk his neck for… At least Byleth's satisfied smile at his feat was worth the risk.

A well-timed blow from his reinforced sword and a fateful critical stunned the beast and allowed him to get the duke out of harm's way, at least for the time being. With a powerful barrage of strikes, Balthus finished off the beast and proceeded to lead the man in question to a safer area.

"Impressive," Byleth muttered, slightly out of breath as Yuri rushed in to intercept another demonic beast that was readying a claw to charge her head on.

"Oh, you ain't seen impressive yet, _sweetheart_ ," Yuri retorted with a lopsided smile on his pink lips before maneuvering around the feet of the monster to slash along its unarmored belly, effectively eviscerating it on the spot. 

After dodging the spray of blood and entrails, Yuri searched for his professor, wanting to see praise in her blue eyes. He was putting on a show for her, after all. And praise he did see although her gaze was directed at the blond Kingdom prince instead. Yuri's blood burned a little. _Ugh, why did she bring him along again…?_ Yuri pondered sourly but, seeing as Dimitri pierced the giant skull of one of those monsters in a single thrust of his lance, the answer came to him. _Ah, right: he's a beast._ The look of wonder in Byleth's eyes, in between adoration and fright, did not go unnoticed by the Abyssian swordsman.

The frenzy with which the prince handled his blade as of late was worrisome to say the least. Perhaps the professor had asked him along to keep an eye on him? Unlike himself, who took down his targets using cunning and dirty tricks, Dimitri was pure strength. Yuri knew that the prince would absolutely crush him in a fair fight, but luckily, he didn't play fair. _Bring it on, your highness,_ Yuri thought as he charged another monster that was fast approaching the professor, intent on proving just how reliable and lethal he could be as well.

* * *

After the suspicious dark mages were defeated and escaped, Linhardt and Hapi began working their healing magic on the injured. Lysithea had just begun trying her hand at white magic so she followed closely to help under their direction. The green-haired and white-haired mages had just recently joined the Blue Lion House and Byleth had brought them along to help them bond with their new classmates. It seemed to be going particularly well with Linhardt and Hapi, the professor noted.

"How's the shoulder?" Byleth asked Yuri as Hapi finished patching him up and moved on to Dedue.

"Just a bruise," he answered as he lifted the dented metal pauldron of his mercenary outfit up. "This thing took the worst of it."

Despite her usual blank face, something about her features showed she was annoyed. Yuri waited patiently for her to lay it out before him.

"You were reckless today," Byleth accused with a stern face. "What were you thinking, approaching that warlock like that?"

He exhaled sharply through his nose, trying hard not to grin. So she _had_ been paying attention when he took down the enemy commander on his own. "It was a calculated risk."

"You stepped in front of his Swarm Z blast, Yuri."

"Exactly as I intended it," he countered with a ghost of a smirk on his glossy lips. "The recoil of the spell was the only window to catch him unguarded. I saw the chance and I took it. If I hadn't, who knows how many more reinforcements he would've called?"

Byleth pursed her lips and it made Yuri avert her gaze. They looked plump and inviting but now was not the time to dwell on such delights.

"I never start a fight I cannot win. You should know by now," the lavender-haired swordsman added, trying to sound cocky instead of giddy at her interest in him. "Were you perhaps… worried about me?"

He braced for her imminent eyeroll and dismissive comment but they didn't come. His throat went dry at her intense staring.

"Yes," Byleth answered in a low voice. Heat hit Yuri's cheeks and he knew he was blushing like an innocent maiden. "Don't do that again. At least not when I'm too far to reach you. Understood?"

The Abyssian lord tried to hold her piercing gaze but he couldn't. With a burning face, he laughed nervously and ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

"If you insist," he answered without looking her in the eye. 

Satisfied with his response, Byleth made her way to Duke Gerth to try and make sense of what had just occurred.

* * *

They were all beat by the time they arrived back in the monastery. Half of the students left in the direction of the dining hall and the other half chose to bathe and call it a night. On the way back, Dimitri had effectively monopolized the attention of the professor with tales of his ancestors and the inhuman strength passed down through the crest of Blaiddyd. Byleth listened intently, interrupting only to ask a question here and there. Seeing that, Yuri had kept his distance, walking with Balthus instead. With how high his emotions had been running after the incident with Constance's concoction, Yuri didn't want to risk making a fool of himself. _Again._ As if fainting like a damsel hadn't been embarrassing enough, he feared he had let Byleth in on way more than he intended. But it hadn't been a bad thing, surprisingly. In the days that followed, Byleth had been more relaxed around him. And now that she showed upfront worry about him, perhaps things were about to take an unexpected turn. 

For now, Yuri was admiring the Fetters of Dromi on his right hand, the crest stone glowing eerily much to Constance and Byleth’s surprise. As soon as his other classmates had left, he had revealed he possessed the Crest of Aubin as well as his intention to _borrow_ the relic. It suited him quite well, he thought as he flexed his fingers in the air, and unbeknownst to him, Byleth thought exactly the same thing. He looked positively hot with that thing on although she had no idea why. As Sothis laughed somewhere at the back of her mind, the mercenary decided to file that thought for another time.

Once Byleth agreed to let him keep it for the time being, Constance left hurriedly, muttering something about her former leader’s ulterior motives. Now Byleth observed the Ashen Wolf with a blank face but a tinge of curiosity in her impossibly blue eyes.

“Was this enough for you, friend?” Yuri asked with his eyes still focused on the relic enclosing his right hand. 

“Huh?”

“The thrill of the battle,” he explained, finally fixing his amethyst eyes on her face. “You used this as an opportunity to take your mind off the White Heron Cup and that stupid ball, yeah?”

Byleth chuckled: it was both amusing and somewhat scary that Yuri had gotten so good at reading her. It was true, she thought as she subconsciously tugged at her messy hair. She was expected to choose a competitor for the cup _and_ teach them to dance, while she herself didn’t know how to. It was too much. Although she was enjoying her time as a professor, this particular task was one she would take no enjoyment in. Sothis, on the other hand, had been delighted. _Figures_. 

“Got a lot on your mind?” Yuri asked as he got closer and put his palm on her upper back, barely touching and gently nudging her toward the exit of the entrance hall. She humored him.

“Yeah,” Byleth answered, feeling a little overwhelmed at the contact, even through the barrier of her gray overcoat. As if reading her mind, Yuri trailed his fingertips lightly along her spine, stopping at her lower back, then removing it. Her shivering was not lost on him. “It’s a pain in the ass. I don’t even know how to dance myself.”

Yuri allowed himself a loud laugh, which earned him a glare from her blue eyes. He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself as they walked around the pond, heading for the dormitories. Try as he might, he couldn't picture her wearing a nightgown and dancing. 

“It’s a stupid idea. I never did understand why nobles engage in such trifles. Ugh, it makes me sick just thinking about it.”

“Heh,” the professor let out a chuckle at his frown. “You really dislike nobles, don’t you?”

“I...” The lavender-haired man stopped to choose his words carefully. He didn’t want to run his mouth again, although it seemed like she had that power over him. “Can’t help it. I’ve dealt with some nasty ones. But what will you do about the cup?”

“Bury my head in the ground and hope for it to pass,” Byleth deadpanned and Yuri chuckled briefly.

"Well, you can come hide in Abyss with me if you want. During the contest, I mean... or anytime, actually." 

They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached her room. Yuri turned and observed the mercenary wordlessly for a few moments.

“Thanks for letting me borrow this, friend,” he said as he wiggled his fingers clad in the golden gauntlet. Byleth assented, distracted by his slender digits. Her interest pleased him more than he was willing to admit.

"You were pretty impressive out there today. I'd say you earned it." 

Emboldened by her praise, his next words left his pink lips on their own. "Oh, yeah? Am I closer to earning my _other_ reward then…?" 

He winked and gave her a smug smile. Right. The kiss. Byleth regarded him blankly for a moment and Yuri was surprised that she didn't recoil from him as she had done so many times before. 

“Yes," the mercenary whispered and, if she hadn't turned around, she would have laughed at Yuri's dropping jaw. "Good night, Leclerc.”

Yuri was left speechless and shaking slightly as she fumbled with the lock to her room before disappearing from view. Yuri stood outside her door for a minute, trying to get his racing heart under control before heading down into the dark passageways underneath Garreg Mach. Yes, he was sure now that things would take an unexpected turn, and for the first time ever, he begged the lucky star he had been born unto that it would be a favorable one for him. 

* * *

["Are you sure I can't do that with the Divine Pulse?" Byleth asked in her mind for the fifth time. 

"I said no!" Sothis groaned in exasperation. "If I had a body, I could probably do it. But your mortal flesh can't channel that kind of power. And it would be a grievous misuse! Forwarding time to avoid a dance contest? Tch, I thought you were braver than that!"]

Byleth knew Sothis was right but she couldn't help it. Fighting came as second nature to her but this? She wasn't sure she could pull it off. 

Most of her students had refused to participate before she even asked them and so she had chosen the only volunteer: Flayn. The girl was adorable but Byleth had a feeling she had never attended a ball, so getting her ready would take some extra work. She had thought Manuela's assistance would come in handy… that is, until she had forced the mercenary to wear this ridiculous outfit. Manuela had said that, since the contest would be held in that attire, Byleth needed to help Flayn get used to the peculiar folds and creases of the fabric. The flowing silk was cumbersome and her breasts bounced heavily with each step, threatening to spill out. Walking around like this reminded her bitterly of the reasons why he favored chest plates and tight corsets. As she made her way to the Blue Lions classroom, she begged whatever gods were listening that she wouldn't run into anyone.

"Professor? Oh my, you look absolutely stunning!" Flayn exclaimed as Byleth entered the classroom. She quickly circled the professor, admiring the intricate design of the dancer ensemble. 

"You look great too," Byleth countered. It was true: Seteth's daughter looked really cute in a replica of her own attire, although she doubted the stern advisor would share her opinion.

"Oh, well, I appreciate the sentiment," the girl countered as she inspected the rings of fabric around the professor's fingers. "But I'm afraid I lack the… ah… _attributes_ to really do it justice."

That made Byleth laugh. She was well aware of her ample bosom and the flare of her hips, and of the effect it had on men and women alike.

"Thanks, but I mean it. You look adorable," the blue-haired woman concluded as she moved to rearrange the desks and make space for their dance lesson. "Are you ready? We'll be here a few hours."

"Oh, lovely!"

Grateful that at least one of them was having fun, Byleth began the dreadful instruction session. Perhaps things would turn out alright if she thought about it like a fighting style…?

* * *

Yuri almost let out an embarrassing moan as he took the final bite of his meal. Whoever would've thought drizzling a roasted pheasant breast with berry sauce would taste so heavenly?

"You alright there, buddy?" Claude's voice broke Yuri's reverie, followed by a chuckle.

"Yes, this is just divine," the Abyssian explained as he wiped his lips with a napkin. "I'm not a fan of spending too much time up here, but I can't complain about the meals. There's nothing in Abyss quite like this."

The Alliance heir and Yuri had become friends quickly after the celebration of the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, although they hadn't spent too much time together with how chaotic things had been as of late. So with everyone busy with the preparations for the grand ball, Claude had taken his chance to snatch the thief lord away at least for lunch. Although he genuinely liked him, the noble knew that having Yuri as an ally would prove beneficial sooner or later. But for now, they could just enjoy each other's company.

"So, got a date for the ball?" Claude asked as he twirled his goblet in his hand.

"No. Are we supposed to? I can't remember from the last time I attended; I was too drunk."

Claude chuckled lightly. "No, but Ferdinand and Lorenz seem to have started that trend."

"Nah," Yuri scoffed as he pushed his empty plate away from himself. "I probably won't go anyway. I hate the spectacle."

"Poor Camilla will be heartbroken," the olive-skinned noble teased, ripping a grin from Yuri's lips.

"Then Sylvain can console her," the Abyssian concluded in a mocking voice. "How about you? I bet there's a long line of noble girls desperate to sink their claws in you."

Despite his well practiced smile, Claude's green eyes narrowed. _This_ is why he liked Yuri so much: he was sharp and didn't dance around subjects, however touchy they might be.

"You'd be surprised," the Golden Deer said, satisfied at seeing the knowing smile on his companion's face. Despite his high status, it was no secret that his provenance was rather dubious. This was a chance for noble girls and boys to scout for marriage prospects, so Claude knew the line of girls wanting to dance with him would be rather short despite his charm and dashing looks. That's why he felt he could unwind with Yuri: he knew they were both outsiders. "Why don't _you_ keep me company? Perhaps we can spike the drinks."

Yuri tried not to let his shock show on his face. Was Claude hitting on him? He kind of got that impression the night in Abyss but, seeing as they both had drunk a lot, he couldn't tell for sure. Even now, those green eyes were impossible to read. But before he got a chance to answer, a group of students caught his attention: Sylvain was crossing the dining hall for the third time in five minutes, draggin a different classmate each time.

"Something's up with Sylvain, don't you think?" Yuri motioned for the redhead dragging Ashe by the arm and it quickly diverted Claude's attention from the proposal, if he could call it that.

"Hmm," a flash of mischief crossed the heir's green eyes. "Let's find out."

They haphazardly put their empty plates away in the designated area before following their classmates through the garden adjacent to the dining hall. They seemed to be heading to the Officer's Academy. Yuri and Claude got closer, seeing as Sylvain and Ashe were too distracted by whatever they were whispering in each other's ears, until they reached their destination. 

"What the hell…?" Claude muttered, trying to make sense of what he saw.

Sylvain had dragged a furiously-blushing Ashe all the way to the door of the Blue Lions classroom, where Balthus, Lorenz, Ferdinand, and a very reluctant Felix were taking turns to peek. Unsure of what to make of it, Yuri and Claude waited and observed as the gray-haired archer peeked into the classroom for a few seconds before turning around, pressing a hand to his now bleeding nose. At that, the Ashen Wolf and the Golden Deer quirked eyebrows at each other and approached silently.

"Whatcha doing, buddy?" Yuri whispered in Sylvain's ear, making him jump from the fright.

"Damn it man, I thought you were Seteth!" Sylvain whispered back with a slight tremor in his voice.

"Why would…? OH! Oh..."

Yuri's words got caught in his throat as he sneaked a peek into the study hall: the professor was swaying her enticing hips back and forth as she played the role of Flayn's dance partner. So _this_ is what they were doing, those nasty perverts! Although, seeing Byleth's full breasts bounce with each twirl and turn, so tight against the silky fabric that he could make out her nipples, he really couldn't blame them. Yuri wanted to believe himself above such boyish attitudes but the truth was that he couldn't have torn his eyes away even if a demonic beast was running rampant in the courtyard.

"Still not sure if you're attending the ball?" Claude taunted in Yuri's ear and it was his turn to jump, startled. "I might steal her away for a song or two if you don't."

Not thinking straight, Yuri decided he _had_ to attend that stupid ball if it meant seeing Byleth dressed in something like that for a few hours. Perhaps he could even claim his reward then? After all, that was the night that couples sneaked away to the Goddess' Tower, right?

The lavender-haired man seriously considered this as he wet his suddenly dry lips, free of their glossy layer after his meal. After her positive response lately, he had decided to play it safe, but this…? _This_ may very well persuade him to up the stakes and arrange a little rendezvous at the tower.

"What's going on here?" Dimitri's voice resounded from behind the group of peeping students, effectively chilling their blood.

"Oh, it's nothing, your Highness," Sylvain babbled as he tried to push the prince away from the door. His copper eyes were panicked. "Nothing you should concern yourself with. I bet you have lots of important things to do, don't waste your time on--"

"Sylvain!" Using his inhuman strength to push him out of the way, the prince sneaked a peek into the classroom. His ears and face went completely red as he observed for a few seconds before turning away. "YOU SCOUNDRELS! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

 _Ugh, leave it to the prince to ruin it,_ Yuri thought bitterly as he and Claude made to leave before Dimitri went into a rage, but the prince wasn't deceived so easily.

"I told you this was a bad idea, you idiot," Felix chastised as he walked away, as if he hadn't just spent the last ten minutes taking turns looking into the classroom too. 

"You too Claude?" The blond turned to the two schemers with a reproachful gaze. "What is wrong with all of you, peeping on the professor like she is some piece of meat?"

"Relax, Dimitri, it's not like--"

"Save it, Sylvain!" His blue eyes turned murderous and his classmates briefly feared he would snap and charge at them. "Leave, all of you! NOW!"

Not waiting to test their theory, the students began to disperse, most of them red-faced and ashamed.

"I can't believe it of you, Ferdinand..." Dimitri scoffed as the Empire noble tried to sneak away unnoticed.

"I know, I'm SO sorry! I'm a disgrace!"

Rolling their eyes as Ferdinand squirmed away, Claude and Yuri retreated in the direction of Abyss. Yuri had promised to show Claude around the Shadow Library after eating their meal.

"So… should I save you a seat for the ball then, friend?" Claude asked with a smirk plastered on his handsome face. It was things like this that made him impossible to read: first he flirted then suggested they compete for the affections of their hot teacher.

Yuri laughed and ran a hand through his soft hair. "Perhaps."


	11. Hot and Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I apologize for the long time it took me to update this. I had to travel unexpectedly to deal with some family matters and I hadn't been in the right state of mind to continue working on this. I have the outline and details for the entire work ready but it was getting stressful trying to sit down and write in the middle of my situation, so I decided to just put it off. I apologize but thank you for continue to read. I will be updating the next chapter quickly since I envisioned this chapter and the next as a single one, but decided to break it in two to avoid having a super long chapter. I'm sorry for the cliffhanger!
> 
> In this chapter, I am having the students wear regular clothes during the ball, not their uniforms, just to make things interesting.

Without the barrier of her armor and overcoat, the breeze was soothing on Byleth’s skin. She was sitting on the roof of the dormitories, enjoying the cool night and content to finally have a moment alone. The White Heron Cup had turned out to be more exhausting than a battle, at least mentally. Despite Seteth’s initial murderous look, she was happy that Flayn had secured the cup and dancer certification for the Blue Lions but now that it was over, she never wanted to have anything to do with dancing again. Except… she still needed to chaperone that ball. It was annoying but at least she wouldn’t be required to participate otherwise.

Byleth was also still feeling the stress from the events at Remire Village so she pulled out a flask her father had given her earlier. After the event, he had handed her the liquor, saying she looked like she needed not a drink but a whole bottle. It was true, she thought as she uncorked it and took a swig.

“Tsk, tsk, drinking on rooftops isn’t a good example to set your students, Professor,” Yuri’s decadent voice taunted, making Byleth choke on her drink a little when she noticed him standing over her with a pale hand on his hip. When had he climbed up here? That little bastard was a little too good at sneaking on her!

“Says the one who got all my students drunk down in Abyss?” She retorted with a ghost of a grin on her lips. 

Seeing the little changes in Byleth’s expression made Yuri want to just grab her face and kiss her senseless but he settled for just sitting down next to her. If his luck didn’t fail him, the kissing would come soon.

“Hey, that was all Balthus,” he defended himself although his professor’s eyes said she knew he had been the mastermind behind that little stunt. “Anyway, can I have a sip?”

For a moment, the mercenary thought that it would be totally inappropriate but, then again, most of the things that had already transpired between them were far from the ideal teacher-student relationship. So she handed him the item in question wordlessly.

Byleth was enthralled as he pressed his lips to the flask and took a generous gulp of the spiced rum. Some of his lipgloss was left on the edge of the bottle and she really wanted to know if it tasted like Albinean berries, just as she suspected he himself did. She felt lightheaded but she wanted to think that was just the alcohol.

"See something you like?” Yuri taunted with a prideful grin. Catching her off-guard thrilled him and, more than anything, catching her unreadable gaze on him.

She rolled her eyes and looked away, not bothering to retrieve the bottle from his slender hands. 

“You did surprisingly well teaching Flayn to dance,” the Abyssian continued in a relaxed voice. After spying on her, Yuri had been present at the competition along with all the other male Blue Lions, including a very stiff Dimitri. For some reason, they had all been hoping their professor would show up to the contest in that exotic dancer ensemble but had been sorely disappointed. “I mean, surprisingly well for someone who was whining about not knowing how to dance just a few days ago.”

The mercenary looked at him like she was ready to pull out the Sword of the Creator on him.

“Ha, yeah, right. You didn’t whine. It was more like venting I guess.” Yuri cleared his throat. “So, how did you pull it off?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Byleth hid her face in her hands in a surprisingly girly fashion that made Yuri chuckle. She didn’t want to remember Manuela’s  _ Dancing 101 _ crash course. ”I just want to get through this stupid ball tomorrow and forget it all.”

“Can’t blame you,” Yuri assented before taking another sip of the liquor. He hated these stupid parties that nobles organized to flaunt their wealth and power. With all that was going on, this was no time to be partying. He would ditch the event altogether if the image of the professor dressed in that alluring dancer ensemble wasn’t seared onto his mind. He knew that professors dressed up for the occasion almost as much as students and he just  _ had _ to see her wearing something like that again. But he tried not to think about it now lest he tried something reckless.

Sitting in a comfortable silence, Yuri drank about half of the contents of the flask while Byleth simply sat there, staring off into the night sky and refusing Yuri’s offers to return her drink. She was afraid of the effect that tasting his lipgloss would have on her.

“Have you heard of the legend of the Goddess’ Tower?” Yuri spoke after a few minutes of silence, startling Byleth. 

“Uh… sort of.”

“Bullshit, right?” He asserted, noticing her guarded tone as she answered him. That made her laugh. He needed to play his cards right tonight. 

“I guess it’s just an excuse for couples to sneak around,” she concluded without looking at him. “Did you…”

He raised a perfectly made-up eyebrow as she trailed off, eager to know what was on her mind although he had a pretty good guess. 

“Did you take anyone there the first time you were a student here?”

Yuri tried to refrain from grinning: she was hooked and he didn’t even have to bait her much. Yes, all was going according to plan. Now he just needed to watch his mouth and keep it smooth.

“Curious, much?” 

Despite her inevitable eyeroll, Byleth didn’t recoil from him. Instead, she folded her knees and rested her chin on them, her inquisitive gaze urging him to answer. Yuri swallowed and tried not to stare as her already skimpy shorts rode up her bare thighs at her new position.

“No. I don’t even remember if I attended the ball,” he answered vaguely on purpose to catch her attention. And it did.

“How can you forget that?”

“Heh, well, I… may or may not have been hammered well before the party started.”

Byleth snorted and Yuri swore that was the cutest sound he ever heard. 

“Figures,” she stated matter of factly and it was his turn to laugh. “So, what happened? Did someone refuse to meet you at the tower or what?”

_ Gotcha _ , Yuri thought. Dragging his answer out just to keep her in suspense, he brushed his straight and silky bangs with his fingers, then laid his amethyst eyes on her blue ones. The fact that she didn’t look away sent a shiver down his spine.

“Hardly. You see… there was no one interesting enough to sneak out with,” he revealed in a terse and slow voice. The way she inhaled told him she knew what he was getting at. “This time around, though, I hope to run into someone worth my time there… that is, if my lucky star doesn’t fail me.”

Knowing that pushing any more would ruin the mood, Yuri stood up and dusted his grey trousers. Her lips parted in a surprised gasp: she was expecting a more aggressive response than what he gave.

“Don’t drink too much, eh?” He advised as he offered the flask of rum back to her.

“Maybe,” Byleth muttered as she took the bottle. There was a glint of mischief in her blue eyes and it was almost as intoxicating to Yuri as the alcohol he had just drunk.

“Yeah…?”

She fought the urge to break eye contact as the words left her mouth. “Maybe you  _ will _ run into someone there this time.”

Yuri couldn’t help the grin that split his perfect features. His whole body was already tingling with anticipation but he knew he should leave now before the spell was broken.

“Maybe. Thanks for the drink, friend.”

Byleth remained rooted to her spot as the Ashen Wolf jumped off the roof and disappeared into the shadows. She was well aware of the implications of her words but, for once, she didn’t want to worry. As she held the flask in her hand, she could think of nothing else besides Yuri’s lipgloss and how badly she wanted to taste it.

[“Soooo...” Sothis’ voice interrupted Byleth’s racing mind. “We have a date at the Goddess’ Tower, huh?”

The mercenary’s cheeks flared. “T-that’s not… I mean… ugh!”]

\----------

Yuri’s heart thrummed in his ears as he walked down the stairs into Abyss. He felt at odds being the one chasing after someone; it was usually the other way around. After the White Heron Cup earlier, he had patiently waited for his professor to return to her quarters to make a move before any of those other Blue Lions idiots decided they wanted to do more than just ogle her from a distance. He knew his approach had bordered on stalking but there were few tricks he would consider too dirty to get what he wanted.

That line of thought stopped him on his tracks: what  _ did _ he want out of her?

The question had plagued him for weeks now but he had been wary of digging too deep for the answer. This little escapade may very well help sort it out. Perhaps getting his hands on his enigmatic professor would finally scratch that itch that had been bothering him for months now. Or perhaps it would just leave him desperate for more? He wasn’t sure yet. But whatever the case, he was willing to take the risk if it meant finally claiming the lips of the fearsome Ashen Demon at least once.

\------- 

The grand hall at Garreg Mach was illuminated by scented candles that were reserved for special occasions, such as this. Their soft glow was eerie, or so Byleth thought as she stepped into the large room. Perhaps it was just too bright for her bleary eyes. The flower decorations were lavish, matching the outfits of most of the students already gathered for the celebration. She didn’t understand what the fuss about such an event was but, judging from Annette and Mercy’s anticipation the past few days, it was apparently a big deal. As she took her designated position by one of the tables, the music began playing and she sincerely hoped it would all pass quickly. There were more important matters at hand such as the unknown enemies who fled the scene at Remire. 

[“Are you sure  _ that _ is what occupies your mind right now...?” Sothis mocked lightly.]

Although she wanted to deny it, Byleth was also preoccupied with thoughts of the Goddess’ tower. She had taken a calming tonic Manuela had given her to calm her nerves earlier, which caused her to pass out and be late. Yuri’s words were just too fresh in her mind. She knew it had been an invitation but, despite the latent curiosity to see what he was really about, she was still hesitant.

“You’re late, Professor Eisner,” Seteth’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He had a displeased expression on his face. 

“I overslept.”

Seteth’s eyebrow twitched as his hand reached up to rub his temple. “That explains your state of dress. I do hope you take these matters seriously. This is a very important occasion both for the monastery and the students.”

Byleth nodded slightly but before Seteth could go off on an endless lecture, his attention was drawn to a few students who were hanging around the refreshments table suspiciously and he quickly excused himself, although not without warning her that they would continue the conversation later.

Thankful that she didn’t have to stand through Seteth’s reprimand, Byleth tried to settle into her chaperone role for the night. In her mind, Sothis kept going on about wanting to dance the night away but before she could formulate an answer to that, something caught the mercenary’s eye: Dimitri was making his way into the dance area with a well-dressed girl clinging to his arm. He was dressed in full regalia and the royal blue and black of his ensemble contrasted sharply with his fair hair and skin. Despite the disinterested look in his blue eyes, the heir to the Faerghus throne looked dashing as he settled one large hand on the narrow waist of the swooning girl. 

[“Ah, Dimitri looks quite the prince charming, yes?” Sothis teased but Byleth was too distracted by the sight to answer. “Perhaps we should stay and dance with him instead of going to the tower…?”]

Byleth’s cheeks flared slightly, although she didn’t have a chance to give the goddess’ idea any real thought as Claude came out of nowhere and took her hand to drag her to the dance floor. He winked one of his green eyes at her, his smile as contagious as usual.

“You look a little stiff, teach,” he stated in a smooth but flirty cadence that dragged a chuckle out of Byleth. “I’ll help you unwind.”

Although her second thought had been that Seteth might deem it inappropriate for her to dance with her students —her first had been how handsome Claude looked—all caution went out the window as the scion of House Riegan spun her around Edelgard, Dimitri, and their partners. Byleth realized it was probably customary to have these high-ranking political figures inaugurate the ball, seeing as they were the only couples dancing. Despite knowing she was overstepping her station, it was impossible to not get carried away by the charm and vitality that Claude exuded, so Byleth set her worries aside and let him take the lead while Sothis giggled in her mind, delighted to finally have the chance to dance even if it was through another’s body.

\-------

“Son of a bitch...” Yuri muttered as he stepped into the ballroom. To maintain his air of mystery, he was always late to these events. That was usually enough to get whoever he set his sights on to wait on him, hand and foot, afterward. But of course things were never as usual with the professor: even though he couldn’t contain his anticipation to be late more than half an hour, she was already merrily dancing with none other than Claude instead of awaiting his arrival. That jerk hadn’t been joking after all!

To add insult to injury, the professor wasn’t wearing her dancer outfit, or even a night gown for that matter. She was wearing her usual shorts, tights, and black top, cape and armor included. Perhaps this was a bad omen? He wondered briefly if this had been a mistake after all. Making his way to the drinks table and skillfully spiking a decanter of mild table wine, Yuri observed his professor dance around Dimitri and Edelgard, arms circling Claude’s neck, trying to assess whether he should retreat or move forward with his already thwarted plans.

\-------

More than an hour after the opening waltz, Byleth was finally stepping away from the dancefloor. She had truly enjoyed Claude’s playful lead and light conversation for a few songs until a very gallant Sylvain, dressed in a black long coat and teal vest, had snatched her away. Byleth never imagined she would enjoy the redhead’s company as a dance partner but he had been a perfect gentleman, complimenting her dancing skills despite her continuous tripping. In this situation, Byleth could see some of the charm that made Sylvain a successful womanizer. After that, other students from all houses had taken turns to ask her for a dance. She was lightheaded from all the spinning around by the time she managed to step away to get a drink.

Slightly leaning against a wall for support, Byleth sipped her wine and looked around the lively hall. She had been worried about Seteth scolding her for dancing with the students but quickly realized he was too busy tailing Flayn and giving a deathly glare to any and all males who got within 6 feet of her. In a stark contrast, Jeralt had given her complicit smirks as she switched partners multiple times. Now that had been an unexpected reaction from her father. She also noticed Claude chatting cheerfully with Hilda, Caspar, and Lysithea. He hadn’t danced with anyone else after letting Sylvain steal her away, while Dimitri and Edelgard hadn’t stopped dancing yet. 

The rest of her Blue Lions seemed to be having a great time too. Ingrid and Annette looked like they had died and gone to paradise as they sampled a variety of cold cuts and desserts respectively, while Mercedes had somehow managed to get Dedue on the dancefloor and, after some initial reluctance from the stern man, it looked like they were enjoying themselves. Although Felix was doing his best to play the role of an angry cat, his relaxed shoulders, usually stiff and straight, were a telling sign of the effect the event was having on him too. Although Dimitri seemed rather detached, which was worrisome to Byleth, he hadn’t made any attempts to run away from the hall and had kept on accepting dance invitations from girl after girl. After his strange outbursts recently, that  _ had _ to be a good sign, or so she wanted to believe. Conversely, Sylvain seemed to be in his element: he was dancing with as many pretty girls and faculty members as he was able to convince, Manuela and a few female Knights of Seiros included. Seeing the students relaxing and hanging out like this made her understand a little better why this ball was such a big deal especially in dire circumstances such as these, after the tragedy at Remire. She was grateful to have the opportunity to see them having a good time like this.

Scanning the hall, Byleth’s blue eyes soon spotted a slender figure clad in a sober but exquisite white blazer over black trousers and shirt. If she had thought Dimitri dashing in his regalia, Byleth had no adjective to describe how striking Yuri Leclerc looked. Dancing with her students had taken her mind off him but now it all came back hard: his constant teasing, his lips against her flask of rum, and his invitation to meet at the Goddess’ Tower.  _ The tower! _

[“I know dancing was delightful, but did you really forget about  _ that _ ?” Sothis chided in that characteristic tone of hers, childish and authoritative at the same time. “You’re helpless. Isn’t that why you came here tonight?”

Byleth chewed her lower lip a little, her eyes still fixed on the lavender-haired man. “Not really. I was asked to chaperone.”

“Don’t sass me!”]

As much as the mercenary wanted to pay attention to the goddess, her mind just couldn’t concentrate. She was overcome with a mix of excitement and nervousness at the sight of Yuri. His hair looked as soft as always, his face highlighted just right by perfect makeup, and his white jacket just tight enough to accentuate his slender but toned torso.  _ Damn _ . Most captivating of all, though, was the bored look on his perfectly delineated amethyst eyes. He was sitting at one of the tables with a girl who looked like she was talking his ear off. She was pretty, Byleth thought, but Yuri was apparently more interested in looking at the ceiling than listening to her. 

How long had he been here? Caught up in dancing, Byleth hadn’t noticed his arrival, although she was sure he hadn’t danced with anyone yet, as she would’ve seen him. That realization made her uncomfortable: he hadn’t tried to dance with her. As upfront and aggressive as he had been with her so far, it was odd that he hadn’t taken the most obvious chance to get his hands on her.

[“Don’t overthink it. He’s the ‘hot and cold’ type.”

“The what?” Byleth asked, genuinely ignorant of whatever that meant.

“Ugh, you’re terrible at this, you know?” If Sothis had been corporeal, she would’ve rolled her large green eyes. “It means he’s all over you one moment then ignores you the next to keep you interested.”

“Oh.” Yeah, that made sense, she concluded. “So… how do you know so much about flirting?”

“I, uh… Huh...” The goddess paused for a long moment. “I... can’t remember...”]

Catching the forlorn notes in her voice, the mercenary decided to stop prying. She knew Sothis was defensive about her lack of memories and she didn’t want to ruin the night for her. It was obvious the girl was enjoying the festivities, even if she was bound to the body of another. Seeing as Sothis went completely silent, Byleth returned her attention to Yuri, whose eyes were now firmly trained on hers while he continued to ignore the girl beside him. Trying not to encourage him, Byleth put on her innate poker face despite his intense gazing.

Even if she didn’t accept any more dancing invitations, the hours went by surprisingly quickly. Byleth had stuck to her role as chaperone, although her eyes kept falling on the Ashen Wolf every now and then. Girls kept fighting for his attention but he hadn’t taken anyone out dancing. He actually looked bored out of his mind the entire time and, true to the hot and cold thing Sothis had mentioned, didn’t acknowledge the mercenary’s presence after that initial contact. That is, until now. It was about midnight when Byleth felt the familiar weight of those violet eyes on her.

As much as she hated to admit it, Byleth was rather annoyed that Yuri had ignored her the whole night. She had decided she wouldn’t fall into his games anymore. She had more important things to focus on. She truly meant to stick to that resolution… except that her blue eyes inevitably searched for his pale face the moment she felt his gaze on her. With a smirk and a wink of his violet eye, he downed the last of his wine, licked his lips, and stood to leave the grand hall in calm, taunting strides. It only took Byleth a minute to throw her determination to the wind and follow him to the location of their seemingly inevitable rendezvous: the Goddess’ Tower. 

[“Gods, YES! This IS finally happening!” Sothis squealed and giggled, making Byleth wince.

“Gods help me, it is...”]

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally at the Goddess' Tower date! Things will be finally moving faster after this (I know I keep saying that but I mean it this time, I'm just a sucker for a slowburn.) Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think of where this is going :)


	12. Fated Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed the order and place of some of the dialogues of chapter 9: The Cause of Sorrow, and removed some bits. I also wrote closely along the dialogue of the scene at the Goddess Tower but I didn’t want to flat out write the whole thing, so I recommend watching that scene on Youtube or on the Switch if it gets confusing.
> 
> This turned out a little more angsty than I meant it, just a heads up. It’s also shorter than the other chapters so I apologize for that.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

Byleth’s hurried steps ruffled the grass in the courtyard. She was usually more stealthy but, at present, she opted to move fast before she backed out. As thrilling as  _ this _ was with Yuri, it was tiring to always have to be looking out for whatever trick he might play next. She was curious about where this cat and mouse game he had dragged her into would lead now that she was a willing participant.

[“Eager, aren’t we?” Sothis teased and Byleth, in lieu of an answer, picked up the pace as much as possible without actually running. “I want to meet him too but I was having fun at the ball. Weren’t you?”

Byleth shrugged.

“I understand. You hardly had time to breathe in there. It must be hard to be the favorite teacher at the ball! Poor, poor Professor!”

“...it is difficult,” Byleth muttered out loud in a shaky voice.

“So you  _ do _ think you’re the favorite!” The goddess giggled a little. “I might have known. You had your fun but now… the Goddess Tower waits for you.”]

Trying not to think of the unsteadiness she felt in her knees with her every step, the mercenary walked intently toward the fated place.

* * *

_ Just a little longer _ , Yuri thought as he applied an even layer of eyeshadow with a soft brush. He knew Byleth must have already reached the Goddess Tower but he had chosen to stop by his room down in Abyss to freshen up and retouch his makeup. Although he didn’t mind deceiving others to get what he wanted, the Ashen Wolf wasn’t one to lie to himself: he knew he was being petty by making the professor wait. But he didn’t care. He felt vulnerable enough about being the one chasing her and seeing her dancing around with other men had only added salt to the wound.  _ Boys _ , he corrected himself.  _ Stupid boys. _ Although he wasn’t much older than most of his classmates, Yuri had more world experience than the sheltered nobles at Garreg Mach. He knew hardly anyone posed a threat to him in terms of looks and charm but it still made him angry to see Byleth giving her attention to others so freely. He had entertained the idea of pressing his body sinuously into hers and letting his hands wander south as they danced but it had gone down the drain at the sight of Claude’s arms around her. He had seriously thought the future leader of the Alliance had been only teasing about it.

Yuri was also unable to deny he was nervous, plain and simple. Given his humble upbringing, he had been pushed countless times to use both his wit and…  _ charms _ to make his way out of dire situations, but even then, he hadn’t felt uncertain like this. Byleth was just so different from everyone he had met and got tangled with that he never knew how she might react. No one had ever resisted him for so long and the fact that he couldn’t just let go and move on drove him crazy. He wanted to believe that, once he had a taste of her, he would be able to shake this whole thing off. Although he wasn’t planning on going too far tonight, he was sure it would be just a prelude to some steamy and enjoyable business. 

A shockwave ran up his spine as if he had been hit with  _ Thunder _ : it had really been a while since the last time he had been with anyone he truly wanted. Images of his last tryst with Camilla came up in his mind, but he knew the only reason  _ that _ had happened was because she was big-chested like Byleth and he had been too worked up at the time. By now, he had already spent too many a night wondering what his professor's lips tasted like and now that he was almost there, he felt a rush of excitement that made him want to throw his head back and laugh out loud. If his intuition didn't fail him, it would be worth the wait. 

After brushing his silky hair one last time, Yuri stood from his desk-turned-vanity and admired himself in the full-length mirror next to his bed:  _ perfect _ . The pearl buttons on his black shirt were a sophisticated accent and his white jacket was just tight enough to accentuate his narrow hips and toned chest. Simple and classy never failed, he thought. Knowing that he looked impeccable, the finishing touch was a light mist of an expensive and decadent fragrance that had caught the professor’s attention once or twice before. Calculating that she must’ve been waiting a good 15 minutes now, Yuri straightened his silky jacket and strutted out of his room, his blood already warming at the promise of the night. Yes, he was the one chasing the professor around, but he would do it on his own terms.

* * *

Back at the grand hall, Claude sipped his nth goblet of spiked wine. His sun-kissed cheeks were warm and rosy. He would have to thank the Lord of Abyss later for this little gift. It had been fun dancing with the Blue Lions’ professor but observing his fellow classmates was closer to his definition of a fun night out. Taking advantage of the sharp intuition he had been blessed with at birth, a little observation gave Claude priceless insight into even those who were the hardest to figure out, and that information was neatly stored away for future reference. Persuasion tools, he told himself. And right now, that intuition was pointing in an interesting direction, far from the grand hall. Realizing there were a few actors missing from the play that was the ball, Claude smirked to himself. 

_ This could get messy… _

* * *

“Son of a fucking bitch...” Yuri muttered to himself for the second time that night and his fists tightened so hard that his perfectly manicured nails drew blood from where they dug into his palms. What the hell was this game? When had it gotten so out of control, gone so awry?

His true and tried tactics had failed him spectacularly yet again, making his head swim with confusion: from the top step of the stairs to the Goddess Tower, he looked upon  _ his _ professor and that damned prince, talking intimately. Running a bloodied hand through his hair as if that would tame his ire, Yuri couldn’t make sense of what he saw. He hadn’t made her wait that long! And he had made sure no one else had paid him any attention when he slipped out of that stupid ball. Why the fuck was Dimitri here, usurping his place?

His wounded pride urged him to take off but his psyche kept him rooted to his spot, observing from the shadows and perking his ears: there must be a reasonable explanation. There  _ better _ be or else he might do something he may very well regret once his anger cooled off.

* * *

Although she lacked a heart that could ache, a heaviness settled on Byleth’s chest upon hearing Dimitri’s take on the goddess’ unreachable nature. If only he knew… It was unsettling to realize how truly lonely he was. Despite his political power and physical prowess, the prince felt helpless. Being self-sufficient and independent by nature, Byleth couldn’t comprehend what that could feel like but she did understand that it must be awful. The melancholy in those usually icy eyes made Byleth want to reach out and graze his face with her fingertips.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to brood,” Dimitri said when he realized the effect his words were having on her. Throughout the day, he had entertained the idea of meeting the professor at the tower, but now that he had her here all to himself, he hadn’t meant to digress like this. He should right this wrong and take advantage of this granted wish of having happened upon her tonight. “In any case… I suppose there is no harm in passing the time with silly legends. What do you say, Professor? Care to make a wish? We are here on the night of the ball. Why don’t you try wishing for something?”

Byleth pondered his words for a long moment. His demeanor changed suddenly and his question took her off-guard, much like his sudden arrival earlier. She had made her way over hurriedly only to find the tower empty. After waiting a few minutes for Yuri to show up, wondering whether she might’ve misunderstood his intentions, Dimitri had silently climbed the long staircase and managed to startle her a little. She worried at first, anxious about whether Yuri would come and misunderstand this casual encounter, but the prince’s talk about the goddess had steered her attention away from the lavender-haired thief. For some reason, he had that effect on her. But now that Dimitri’s gloomy mood had been lifted and he threw the question at her, conflicting wishes clashed in her mind: to be here with Yuri and for Dimitri’s heavy burden to be lifted.

“I can’t think of anything,” Byleth lied under Dimitri’s scrutiny, knowing that her face betrayed none of her thoughts. “Why don’t you try wishing for something?”

“A wish of my own...” The blond pondered briefly, his long fingers curled around his chin. “I suppose my wish… is for a world in which no one would be unjustly taken from us. Or… something along those lines.”

Byleth’s lips curled upward in a tiny smile. The prince looked even more dashing than usual when he said things like that. “That’s a great wish.”

“Thank you, Professor.” Dimitri beamed at her approval and, despite his carefully practiced self-control, he couldn’t stop the next words from falling from his lips. “Although, at a time like this… perhaps it would make more sense for me to wish that we’ll be together forever. What do you think?” 

* * *

Unable to stop his jaw from dropping slightly, Yuri wondered if this was the goddess’ punishment for the numerous times he had messed with the Kingdom Prince. Or was it karma for what he had done to those idiots, Sylvain and Lorenz? How else had things gotten so off-course? He was the one meant to be here with Byleth, sweet-talking her and finally getting what he wanted, not peeping from the shadows as a stupid  _ boy  _ tried to reap the gains of his careful strategy.

Yuri Leclerc wasn’t one to fight for the affections and attention of anyone. He had never had to do it before and he’d be damned if he started now. What was so different about Byleth that he couldn’t manage to be a step ahead of her? Why was that damned prince able to get in his way every single time Yuri was getting anywhere with her?

And now Dimitri was playing the aloof card, as if that vow to “always be together” hadn’t been a loud and clear declaration of his undying devotion for the professor.  _ Joking my ass! _ Yuri wanted to say  _ screw them both _ but he couldn’t tear his gaze from the scene unfolding before him. He needed to know if Byleth would really fall for the wistful prince façade. He needed to know if he had truly misread all those signals she had given him so far. 

A sudden thought hit him like a brick: what if her cold front hadn’t been a front after all? What if she had truly meant to reject his advances all this time?

As Byleth complained about the cruel joke and Dimitri apologized and went on about his duty and seemingly dim future, Yuri’s mood soured more and more. The sharp, cold hand of his bruised pride wrapped its fingers around his throat, threatening to choke him. Byleth had rejected his advances numerous times, but not Dimitri’s. Not to his knowledge, at least. If this is how things were, then it was a good thing he hadn’t made a fool of himself here. The tower was too dark for him to make out Byleth’s expression, although he doubted he would be able to read it anyway, but her anger at Dimitri backing out of his confession was palpable. Whenever Yuri took back his teasing words, Byleth only rolled her eyes at him. Never complained. How could he have been so blind all this time?

As Dimitri asked the professor whether they should return to the party, Yuri turned around to leave. The killing blow to his pride would be to be found out spying from the shadows, and he wouldn’t take any more chances tonight. There were better, more delicious ways he could be spending his time, he thought as his mind summoned the image of Camilla’s breasts an inch away from spilling from the indecently low-cut gown she had chosen for the ball. Yes, a good tumble in the hay and as much alcohol as he could find was all he needed to dull the burning ache this fiasco had left him with.

Yuri had already been too far down the long staircase to hear Byleth’s answer.

“ _ You  _ go ahead, I’ll stay a little longer.”

“Uh?” The prince sounded confused. “Oh. Perhaps you were… waiting for someone else here?”

Byleth’s nervous chuckle was unmistakable. “ _ Perhaps _ .”

Back downstairs, Yuri strutted lithe like a cat into the grand hall, welcoming the gazes of lovesick girls and boys he had ignored earlier. Claude’s quirked eyebrow didn’t escape his notice but his suspicions had to wait. Heading straight for Camilla and once more snatching her from Sylvain’s arms, all that he wanted to think about was how fast he could get her out of this stifling crowd and out of those vexing clothes. He didn’t even notice when the blond prince returned to the ball,  _ alone  _ and slightly dejected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry to keep dragging this but... I can't help myself when it comes to this love triangle. I love them both so much! It's hard to favor only one. I hope this was enjoyable :)


	13. Sorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thank you all for continuing to follow this story. This chapter happens during the second part of Ch. 9, The Cause of Sorrow and it is a little shorter than usual. I apologize for that but I didn’t want to make it overly long by adding the following section, which is rather lengthy. 
> 
> I hope you’re all staying safe, and that you enjoy this chapter :)

Camilla’s sinfully toned legs fit nicely around Yuri’s hips. Her weight on top of him was enticing, especially as she ground her hips into his every time he flicked his fingers under her lacey underwear. She was so wet that his fingers slid effortlessly along her warm folds. Despite her enthusiasm, her moans were low-pitched instead of the shrill squeals he so detested from most noble girls. He had always liked that about her. Camilla sounded downright indecent,  _ felt  _ downright indecent with her hot mouth against his neck and her shapely arms pushing her D-cups further against his chest, rubbing her exposed nipples against him as she worked on the pesky buttons of his shirt.

Although he wasn’t drunk, the bottle of wine he and Camilla had shared earlier had his head pleasantly swimming. He wanted to stop thinking and just give free rein to his desires for tonight, so after snatching her away from that redhead idiot, he had rushed straight to her room. It had been a while, after all, and her sultry moans against his heated skin were doing just the trick to soothe his frayed nerves. 

His fingers found a slow and teasing rhythm against her wetness, changing the cadence and pitch of Camilla’s moans. It was quite delightful, except that out of nowhere, a thought squirmed its way into Yuri’s mind:  _ Would the Professor’s moans be low-pitched like this, too? _

Yuri’s violet eyes snapped open. As he stared onto the roof of this noble girl's dorm room, feeling beads of sweat roll down the back of his neck, he felt disgusted. Nauseated. Despite his sudden change of mood, Yuri’s fingers didn’t miss a beat. It was Camilla who suddenly halted her assault on his neck, making him follow suit.

“Darling,” she started as she pulled back from Yuri’s neck and stared intently at his face, trying to read him. Her breasts were fully exposed and she made no move to cover herself, but her eyes were no longer burning with lust. “You know I enjoy your company, but if your mind is going to wander off, I’d rather you let me enjoy someone who is actually in it with me.”

Yuri’s throat felt raspy as he spoke. “No, I--”

“Hush.” Camilla pressed her index finger against his pink lips before disentangling herself from him. “You’re a cute little thing and I’ll continue to welcome your company, but please don’t waste my time if you’re not into it.”

Yuri pushed his head back onto the back of the couch they had been sitting on and let out a long sigh. Could this night get any worse? In the meantime, the Nohrian princess changed into a frilly and translucent nightgown. Following her swaying frame to her vanity, where she began running a brush through her lavender curls, Yuri felt his face burn with embarrassment and anger. How could one night have gone so wrong? His luck had failed him spectacularly. Why did it have to happen tonight of all nights…?

“You’re welcome to stay and cuddle,” Camilla said as she looked at Yuri through the mirror. He looked rather pathetic, she thought, but she spared him the comment. “But I doubt you want that.”

Feeling the weight of her amethyst eyes so alike his own, Yuri finally willed himself to stand up and fix his clothes. He was too distraught to say anything but Camilla didn’t push it. He was silently thankful. Once he was ready and dressed again, she stood up and opened the door for him.

“Milady,” Yuri bowed politely, grabbed her hand, and kissed it lightly. “Please don’t send your retainers to hunt me down this time.”

Camilla threw her head back and laughed a little too loud, then grabbed his pale face with both hands and gave him a chaste but heartfelt kiss.

“Feel better, darling.”

Without another word, the lavender-haired man left, feeling angrier and more confused than before. Hanging on to what was left of his bruised pride, he made his way down into Abyss, intent on depleting Balthus’ stash of booze back at their shared room until he forgot everything, even the Professor’s name.

* * *

“Dedue and Ashe, finish off the beast and cover Mercedes so she can reach the student on the left,” Byleth instructed coolly despite the urgency of the situation. 

“As you command,” the stern man assented as he led the healer and archer through the rubble and to their target.

“Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid, head right and stall the beast so we don’t get swarmed,” she continued issuing orders. “Hapi, follow a few paces behind.”

The students rushed to do as ordered without a second thought and Byleth felt a surge of pride: her Blue Lions had become a reliable squad in a matter of months. With their graduation fast approaching, she wondered if there was a way to keep them together a while longer.

“So we take on this fucker then, kiddo?” Jeralt asked, tilting his head toward the beast right in front of them. Despite outranking his daughter, he valued the insight Byleth offered in battle. He had trained her, after all, and knew she excelled as a commander. The pride he felt at seeing his pupil and daughter in action was a plus too.

“Right. Dimitri, Balthus, let’s go. Flayn, Linhardt, keep an eye on us.”

“I shall, Professor,” the girl confirmed and the boy just sighed. At the beginning of the battle, she had been holding on to her staff as if to dear life, no doubt self-conscious about fighting in her new dancer outfit. But with the weight of keeping her allies safe, she now handled her newly-acquired Caduceus Staff with determination. Byleth briefly thought she mimicked Seteth’s fierce battle expression perfectly when she was like this.

“Annette, Constance, support from the back at your discretion but stay out of harm’s way.”

“It shall be done! Come on, Annie.”

“Oh, um… yes!”

The Blue Lions broke through the barriers of the Demonic Beasts slow but steady. They were doing a marvelous job at combining their strengths and skills but something about the way Byleth moved was off, or so Jeralt thought. She had almost been nicked by the claws of one of the beasts twice already, only for her to retaliate viciously. She looked pale too, and he wondered if she had just drunk a little too much at the ball and wherever else she had run off to afterward. Yeah, he had noticed her sneaking out. He wasn’t about to pry but that didn’t exempt him from worrying.

“You alright there?” The Captain of the Knights of Seiros asked his daughter, approaching atop his horse. His face was blank but his hazel eyes betrayed his concern.

“Yes,” she answered and moved away quickly, unable to hold his gaze. She didn’t want her father to realize how truly distracted she was.

Distracted  _ and _ angry. Yuri had been nowhere to be found this morning and they had left to assist the knights without him. As they hurried to investigate the chapel, she had overheard Balthus making fun of how Yuri had yet again snatched Camilla away from Sylvain at the ball. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why Yuri was missing and, though she told herself she didn’t care, there was a twitch in her hand every time she swung her sword against the armor plates of the Demonic Beasts. She was also trying really hard not to think of the time she had spent waiting at that damned tower, only to leave disappointed and alone.

Had she really misread him? Sleep had taken its sweet time to claim her last night as her thoughts revolved around the fiasco of the ball. Perhaps he was just getting back at her for playing hard to get? No, Yuri didn’t strike her as the hateful kind. Capricious, perhaps, but not spiteful. Something must have gone very wrong, something that she missed for some reason. However, it was not an excuse for standing her up and not showing up this morning.  _ That son of a-- _

“Focus, Professor,” a sultry voice called and a slender but strong arm got her out of the way of a slamming giant tail, which would’ve undoubtedly crushed her otherwise.

Yuri.

“You’re late,” Byleth accused dryly as she made a swift recovery and assisted him in severing the offending appendage from the rest of the beast.

“My bad,” he winked, shook the blood off his killing edge, and proceeded to head off on his own where Felix, Sylvain, and Ingrid were stalling the last beast. The bastard had a smug grin plastered to his ridiculously handsome face.

Byleth mouthed a silent curse but her attention was soon drawn back to the action, where Ingrid had almost been knocked off her pegasus by the beast’s crestone blast. 

Despite her building anger, seeing Yuri had cleared Byleth’s head a little and soon the battle was over. Although Yuri had fought as brilliantly as usual, he had shamelessly ignored Byleth’s commands, so much that Jeralt gave her a questioning look that meant they would be having a very long chat back at the monastery. Dimitri, whose attention rarely strayed from the Professor, also noticed and decided that, as the leader of the Blue Lions, he would have a talk with the Abyssian about his unsightly behavior.

The rescued students seemed distraught but were unscathed and the Blue Lions didn’t suffer any major injuries either. The only thing left to do was check the chapel, where the monsters seemed to have originated from, and Byleth left the task to her father and the knights.

Surprisingly, there was nothing in the ruined shrine: no trace of anything or anyone that offered a clue as to how the beasts had come about. Byleth vaguely heard Jeralt mutter something about Remire, but she couldn’t quite process it as her mind shattered at the sight of a red flash followed by her father’s body hitting the ground.

Although she expended most of her power rewinding time over and over, until she felt like her chest would explode, nothing she did stopped the dark figure from appearing and her father from collapsing before her eyes. The fact that the rain fell as her tears flowed was just a fitting but cruel end to this doomed scene.

* * *

Although he got his kicks out of manipulating and playing others, Yuri was not a cruel man. The sight of Byleth’s tears made his chest tighten until he felt he would choke with the guilt of his pettiness. He knew this was not his fault by any means, but perhaps if he had been here from the beginning, if he knew what they had been sent here to do, he might have been able to… what? Stop a warlock from materializing out of thin air? Block the black dagger that had pierced Captain Jeralt’s back out of nowhere?

It was foolishness, he knew, but as he witnessed  _ his _ Professor hold on to the body of her father, the rain soaking her to the bone, he wished with all his heart that he could take back the carelessness of his actions if only to have the right to hold her in his arms right now.

But he didn’t. He could do nothing, not even look away as the sky continued to darken and Byleth continued to shed silent tears that blended with the rain.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for such a gloomy and short chapter, but it was necessary to stop here for the sake of the next chapter. Thank you for reading! Your comments and suggestions are always welcome :)


	14. Hiding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references Dimitri and Byleth’s conversation in the Captain’s Quarters exclusive to Blue Lions route, right after Byleth reads Jeralt’s diary for the first time (after returning to the monastery from the battle.) I hate quoting dialogues word for word, so I apologize if you find my references too vague and kindly ask that you review that conversation in your Switch or YouTube. Thanks for your patience :)
> 
> This chapter is long and focuses a lot on introspection. There’s also a good dose of rivalry and jealousy because I just can’t help myself when it comes to Dimitri and Yuri. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. All comments and suggestions are always welcome! And thank you for continuing to read.

This chapter references Dimitri and Byleth’s conversation in the Captain’s Quarters exclusive to Blue Lions route, right after Byleth reads Jeralt’s diary for the first time (after returning to the monastery from the battle.) I hate quoting dialogues word for word, so I apologize if you find my references too vague and kindly ask that you review that conversation in your Switch system or YouTube. Thanks for your patience :)

This chapter is long and focuses a lot on introspection. There’s also a good dose of rivalry and jealousy because I just can’t help myself when it comes to Dimitri and Yuri. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. All comments and suggestions are always welcome! And thank you for continuing to read.

* * *

The tragic event was both a blur and a slow-motion loop in Byleth’s mind. Her body was weak and heavy as she curled up on the couch in the Captain’s Quarters, unable to stop replaying the scene over and over behind her closed eyes. She had spent the last two days here, alone, using one of Jeralt’s long and heavy capes as a blanket, too broken to move. Her eyes were bloodshot and dried tears flaked from her cheeks down to her neck. In one hand, she clutched the ring her father had left for her—her mother’s—and in the other, she held the diary. That damned diary. She had read its contents through and through but, instead of getting answers, she ended up with more holes in her already obscure past. 

_What am I?_ She asked herself, unsure if there was anyone who could answer that question other than Rhea. She didn’t hate the woman but her damned secrets and the way she pushed her students into danger were nothing short of unnerving. The last person she wanted to talk to at the moment was her. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, for that matter. Dimitri had been the last person she had interacted with and he had kindly advised her to search within her heart for the answer of what she must do, but… How could she, if she didn’t even have a beating heart?

Byleth felt at odds with herself, unsure of who she was. Learning about her birth only made her more anxious: was she truly Jeralt’s child? She felt she was, although that made her wonder how much of her feelings were her own. Had she been manipulated somehow all along? Perhaps her father’s gruesome fate was her fault… 

[“Stop it,” Sothis interrupted that bleak train of thought, although not the tears that began anew. “Your origin doesn’t matter, you understand? You are _you_ , and the feelings you have for your father are your own. I know that, I feel that.”

“But…” Byleth didn’t even know what she meant to say. 

“Nothing,” the goddess continued in a firm but warm tone. “You are Jeralt’s daughter and the grief you are feeling is proof enough. I know it hurts, but this is not your fault. If my power couldn’t stop the dagger from piercing his flesh, there was nothing you could’ve done. Don’t torture yourself, child.”

“But I...”]

Even if she couldn’t voice it, Sothis knew the regret Byleth was feeling. She had been so preoccupied with meaningless, selfish things that she hadn’t given her father the time he so had asked for. He had wanted to talk on several occasions and she now suspected he wanted to tell her about the things written in his journal. He knew something was going to happen. But her thoughts had been clouded by the trivial events at the school and… by _him_. She had wasted too much time thinking about Yuri, playing his games, and seeking him out. Precious and now lost time. What kind of daughter was she? That is, if she really was--

[“Stop it!” Sothis interrupted again. “You _are_ Byleth Eisner and whatever happened at your birth does not change that. Tell me, what were Jeralt’s last words?”

It took Byleth several minutes to find her voice. “He was happy… happy that I cried.”

“Exactly. Don’t you see? He always wanted you to experience emotions. He felt his death was worth it if even only to see emotion in your eyes. And I don’t doubt he would’ve been elated to know you have feelings for someone too, whatever those feelings are. So don’t you blame yourself. Grieve as you need to, but don’t carry a burden that is not your own.”]

The tears that ran down her cheeks and the burning in her throat prevented Byleth from saying anything. With the goddess’ words swirling in her mind, the mercenary clutched Jeralt’s cape tighter around herself and allowed her pain to swallow her.

* * *

The air was heavy in the classroom as the Blue Lions waited anxiously for their morning lecture. According to their schedule, they were meant to review their proposals on advanced battalion tactics from two weeks ago but, as Seteth stepped into the classroom, greeting the students sternly and making his way to the desk, it was obvious that Byleth wouldn’t show up. Again. This was the third day she missed her lectures this week, although no one could blame her.

“Professor Byleth is off for the day, so I will be covering her lessons,” Seteth began in a serious but compassionate tone, which was much appreciated given the distress on the faces of the students.

“Um...” Annette raised her hand hesitantly but Seteth gave her a reassuring nod. “Is… Is the Professor alright?”

“Well,” the advisor cleared his throat as he pondered how best to respond without causing more concern. Byleth had locked herself for three days in her father’s quarters and had then been missing since Monday, although he had convinced Rhea to not look for her yet; she didn’t look like the type to abandon her pupils. He knew from experience that the poor girl needed time and space to grieve on her own. But the Blue Lions didn’t need to know any of that. “Yes, she is fine, all things considered. She just needs a few more days.”

As expected, Seteth’s answer did little to ease the tension in the room but his calm demeanor was a source of comfort, however meager that may be. And so the lecture began, with the Nabatean reminding himself to go easy on the students.

Despite Dimitri’s well-practiced mask of sanity, a slight tremble was visible in his hands upon careful observation. He knew Byleth was probably alright, at least physically, but she had been so broken when he found her in the Captain’s Quarters… He had hardly stopped thinking about her since then. He had assured her he would wait until she was ready to return to him—to them, the Blue Lions—but that was easier said than done. As he looked at his open palms, stretched onto the wooden desk, he couldn’t shake the feeling of Byleth’s trembling form against them. She had crumbled in a mess of silent sobs and he had held her close, helpless to do anything else. It was a bittersweet memory. At least he was grateful for the opportunity to comfort her, if only slightly. 

If only he had been stronger…

Dimitri’s nemesis had always been regret, and just like it had happened after Duscur, he felt remorseful at his inability to prevent the tragedy. He had pondered his suspicions long enough to be sure that, somehow, the obscure figures responsible for the death of Jeralt were the same ones responsible for his family’s demise. And that made everything worse. How much more would those bastards take away before he was strong enough to destroy them? It made the prince’s blood boil with rage and clouded his sight in deep red. But he couldn’t lose it. He needed to keep his cool, now more than ever, if he was to exact revenge for those he loved. And now, for the Professor, too. The time would be right soon, the voices of the ones he lost told him, and he needed to be ready. They repeated their promise like a mantra that drilled into the prince's mind. 

Although he was not listening to Seteth’s temperate voice, the creaking of the classroom’s doors didn’t escape Dimitri’s notice. The sight that greeted him at the entrance stoked his seething further.

“Yuri Leclerc, is there a reason for your tardiness today?” Seteth demanded half-heartedly. The spirits were already too low for him to go on a scolding rant, even if it was justified.

“Apologies,” Yuri started in a tepid tone, completely ignoring the looks of mild indignation from his classmates. “I was preoccupied with some Abyss business and… Well, I _am_ technically responsible for the place, you see...”

Yuri’s tactless reproach didn’t escape Seteth’s notice but, in light of the situation, he deemed it best to just let it slide. 

“Yes. Well, don’t waste any more time and take a seat,” the wyvern rider conceded as he turned back to the rough diagram on the chalkboard. “As I was saying, the true advantage of a Linked Horses formation lies in the...”

As Yuri made his way to the las available desk in the classroom, the whispers of the ghosts in Dimitri’s ear easily drowned the advisor’s voice. _That rat…_ The prince had noticed the disdain in Yuri’s words and eyes on the last battle, as well as the effect they had on the Professor. He knew he had somehow wronged her and hadn’t even apologized, and now he had the audacity to come and go as he pleased without a single care. Who did he think he was? Dimitri rarely meddled in his comrades’ affairs, even if he was their leader, but this offense could not go unnoticed. As soon as the days’ lectures were over, he would demand an explanation from the thief lord.

* * *

Despite not having had much of a formal education growing up, Yuri was nothing short of bright when it came to school assignments. It was a matter of both natural talent and an honest interest in learning. That was the whole reason he had agreed to join Byleth’s house, after all: to have access to the invaluable lectures offered at Garreg Mach. But considering the thunderous pounding in his head, Yuri dreaded every second of the long session imparted by Seteth. One would think that he would be considerate enough to shorten his discourse because of the sensitive situation, but of course Seteth would treat the matter the same as everything else: as if he had a stick up his butt. 

“Ugh,” Yuri accidentally grossed himself out with that cursed mental image as he scrawled the last words of the assignment. “Finally...”

Seteth eyed the papers with a measure of disapproval but accepted them nonetheless, dismissing the Abyssian for the day. Although it was already past lunch time, Yuri had it in mind to forgo his meal in favor of a much needed nap. His head was killing him and he was pretty sure his blurry eyesight wasn’t normal. However, as soon as he set a foot outside the lecture hall, an ominous figure towered over him and thwarted his retreat: Dimitri. Yuri wanted to scoff and roll his eyes, perhaps send him flying out of his way with that Wind spell he had just recently begun practicing, but there was something dangerous about the prince’s stance that forced him to rein his impulses.

“A word,” Dimitri demanded, all semblance of politeness gone.

Suppressing a grin that he somehow knew would endanger his life further, Yuri extended his arm in invitation. “Lead the way, Your Highness.”

Yeah, suppressing the grin saved him from getting stabbed, but the prince’s title on his biting tongue almost nullified the effort. _Almost._

Dimitri led Yuri at a brisk pace and with an unsettling look in his eyes that was both vacant and ruthless. It gave the thief such a sense of foreboding that he failed to notice they had walked into Abyss. His sense of self-preservation cautioned at the back of his mind that, were the prince to become deranged, the obscure passages down there would be the perfect place to hide a body in plain sight. But Dimitry simply led the way into the Shadow Library, which was deserted as usual. The fact that he didn’t bother closing the doors was somewhat reassuring.

“How may I be of service?” The Abyssian started in a more moderate tone than before, even when the image of the Professor and the prince at the Goddess Tower kept resurfacing in his mind. 

“Stop,” Dimitri’s voice thundered across the spacious room. He hadn’t even raised his voice; it was pure rage that made it so poignant. 

“Stop what, Dimitri?” As much as he recognized the danger, Yuri wasn’t about to be pushed around by anyone, nobility or otherwise.

“Whatever game you’re playing. Your behavior has been so unsightly, both in and out of the classroom, that I should be asking the academy directors for your immediate removal.”

Yuri’s eyes narrowed a fraction at the threat. _So much for the image of the fair prince, huh?_ He was just like all the other nobles, flaunting their power left and right. It truly made him mad.

“I know it was the Professor herself who asked you to become her student,” Dimitri continued in that tone that sounded dangerously restrained. It made Yuri wonder what exactly he was restraining himself from. “So that’s the only reason why I haven’t taken more drastic measures. But I will not stand idle as you disrespect her. How dare you treat her the way you did?”

Ah, yes, Yuri felt the claws of regret clutch him again. He knew he had overdone it in the last battle, blatantly ignoring Byleth and doing his own thing. He felt bad enough without the prince having to mention it.

“And as if your utter disdain for her command wasn’t enough, you have the nerve to show up late to every single activity even when you know what she is going through. What is wrong with you?”

Dimitri’s words stung Yuri more than his pride would allow him to admit, but he was not so dishonorable so as to deny what had been so apparently obvious to everyone. So he held the prince’s irate gaze out of pure dignity.

“ _That_ is none of your concern,” the swordsman replied carefully. The prince had already meddled enough in his affairs with their Professor and he wasn’t about to explain himself to him.

“ _Anything_ that causes the Professor such grief is my concern and don’t you forget it!” Dimitri finally raised his voice. “Didn’t you see the look on her eyes as you blatantly disregarded her? What kind of man are you?”

Despite his screaming pride, Yuri couldn’t help but avert his amethyst eyes. As much as he resented Dimitri for the incident at the tower, he couldn’t bear the truth in his words. He had felt so ashamed of his petty behavior that he had hardly been able to think of anything else the past few days. He didn’t need the crown prince of Faerghus to remind him of it.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” the blond continued with a tinge of urgency in his voice. His azure eyes had darkened almost to black and his fists were tightened in a way that made Yuri want to reach for the sword at his belt. “But now is not the time for such pettiness, which would cause the Professor even more grief. So as the leader of the Blue Lions House, which you are a member of, I expect you treat her with the respect she deserves, both as an instructor and commander. Have I made myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Yuri bit back with a slight but noticeable twitch in his eye.

Without another word, Dimitri flapped his blue cape unnecessarily and made haste out of the library. Releasing a breath he hadn’t noticed himself holding, Yuri wondered what the hell that had all been about. There was something very wrong with the prince, something very well hidden until recently, if his violent outbursts were any indication. But right now he didn’t want to think about him. He _knew_ he needed to make amends with the Professor as soon as she was able to function somewhat normally again. He felt so guilty that he had spent every single night after the incident working with his best intel squad, trying to find out any information about the mysterious enemies who had slaughtered Jeralt and the villagers of Remire. But there was nothing, not a single trace. But he wasn’t one to give up. No one slithered about without leaving traces of some kind, however small they may be, and it was a matter of just time until he found them. And he definitely would. Then it would be up to the Professor to decide how best to dispose of them.

A sudden flash of nausea reminded him of the unholy amount of time since the he had slept or eaten, and so he decided to find something edible at the Wilting Rose Inn before crashing back in his room. That should give him enough strength for another scouting later.

* * *

As Yuri more or less stumbled into the tavern, Dimitri was already shredding all available dummies back at the training hall. He was hacking so viciously with his lance that all students and faculty had quickly deserted the room. A dark instinct had made Dimitri take Yuri to a secluded place to _talk_ , although in the end, he had been able to suppress its sinister whispers. By a very close margin, if that made any difference at all. But as much as he had been able to control his impulses, he needed to let out all the pressure that had been building up in his head. He needed to control himself. And he would, he told himself, he just needed a safe outlet for the time being. 

So engrossed in his bloodless slaughter, Dimitri failed to notice Dedue’s arrival, much less the concern etched in his usually impassive green eyes.

* * *

It was well past midnight when Yuri finally made it to his room. Despite his exhaustion, Dimitri had poked at his pride a little too much so he had ventured out to follow a lead after eating only a few spoonfuls of some soup at the inn. The name and some vague references to the so-called Flame Emperor had come up, but whatever he had gathered was far from concrete information that could be of any real use. He was exhausted, hungry, and sore: he had engaged a couple dark mages and a few spies. That alone told him he was getting close but for now, he desperately wanted to put it off his mind and crash into his bed. 

The silence in his shared room indicated Balthus wasn’t in. Convenient, as Yuri wouldn’t have been able to tolerate his deafening snoring tonight. After lighting a single candle at his desk, the Lord of Abyss set down his sword, unbuttoned his tight and bloodstained jacket, and sat down to remove his makeup. As he was about to press a silky square of fabric dabbed in expensive oil to his skin, he couldn’t help but notice a nasty bruise on his cheek. Ugh, it was already taking on an ugly purplish hue. That damned assassin had been fast and, despite the ease with which Yuri took him down, he had been desperate enough to punch him in the face when his sword had been swatted off his hand. Sore loser, Yuri thought as he inspected his marred skin closely. That’s when he noticed a foreign figure through the mirror, crouching in the narrow space between his bed and Balthus’.

Startled, Yuri wielded the closest object at hand like a sword, which happened to be a carved ivory hairbrush, and turned to point it at the intruder.

“...Professor?”

Unsure if he was seeing right with how exhausted he was, Yuri remained motionless as he stared at her. He quickly realized she wasn’t crouching but sitting against the stone wall, hugging her knees with her face obscured by the blue cascade of her hair.

It was only when she looked up slowly, fresh tears glinting in the candlelight, that he realized it really was her.

“Professor...” Dropping his expensive hairbrush, not caring if it shattered, Yuri closed the gap between them in quick strides and crouched down. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he cradled the Professor’s tear-stained cheek in both hands. Her skin was very cold. His gut churned at her unfocused gaze.

She held his gaze for a moment before her cracked lips parted. “You said I could come hide here… with you, if I...”

Fresh tears that flowed of their own accord killed whatever else Byleth meant to say but it was enough for Yuri to remember the silly offer he had made her in the days before the White Heron Cup. Without hesitation, his arms encircled her and she held on with crushing strength, but he didn’t care. He let her hold on to him and sob for what seemed like ages as he ran slow circles on her back with his fingers.

“Can I have a drink?” Byleth asked once her tears subsided, still with her face buried in Yuri’s neck. Her raspy voice sounded foreign to him.

“Heh, I guess I can provide one,” he answered softly as he kept gently playing with her hair. “But only on one condition.”

Curious, Byleth disentangled her arms from his neck and peeked from behind her matted and wet hair.

Yuri flashed an honest smile she had only seen a couple times before. “That you sit on my bed instead.”

“Oh.” His unguarded eyes on her hit her like a wave and constricted her throat.

“I can sit on a chair if you want, but the floor is too cold for you to stay there. Deal?”

The Professor assented and Yuri assisted her up and onto his bed. She ran her fingers tentatively over the silky purple covers, remembering how enticed she had been by them the first time she saw them.

“I’ll be right back with a bottle,” he explained as he headed to the door. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Although she was too dizzy to accurately tell the time, the Professor knew Yuri hadn’t been gone long. By the time he returned, she had scooted up the bed and reclined against the stone wall. Her head felt like it was full of lead but her daze was slightly dispelled by the distinct _pop_ of the bottle’s cork being removed.

“I figured you wouldn’t care for a glass right now,” Yuri said while offering a slender bottle that looked way too expensive to waste like this. Nonetheless Byleth gave a small smile and accepted it. Although it was one of the strongest drinks she had ever had, it tasted pleasantly sweet and tangy. It suited Yuri, she vaguely thought.

Noticing as he pulled the chair from his desk, Byleth patted the bed next to her.

“Are you certain?” Yuri asked, still unsure if she really wanted him close after everything that he had done, but her nodding was reassuring enough. As soon as he removed his boots and sat next to her, mimicking her position against the wall, she scooted close until their arms were touching. She wasn’t wearing her armor today, only her black tank top, shorts, and tights. No overcoat or shoes either.

After taking a few silent drinks, she passed the bottle to Yuri. Heat rose to his face and ears quickly: he was way too exhausted and his stomach empty so as to be able to hold his liquor tonight. But he wouldn’t reject the Professor’s offers to share, especially when he noticed she had begun crying again. He briefly wondered if she realized tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Silently begging the Goddess to not let him screw this up, Yuri put an arm around her shoulders. It took him by surprise when she turned swiftly and pulled him down by the collar of his jacket, pressing his lips against hers hard.

It felt divine. And unholy too. As she parted her dry lips slightly, catching his lower lip between hers, he was able to taste the sweet alcohol along with something else that was very distinctly _her_. Her skin was cold and she tasted of longing and sorrow. It made his chest ache as if he had been stabbed. He didn’t want to stop, but something at the back of his mind was screaming this was wrong.

“Byleth...” Yuri hissed her name against her lips, then pulled back until they were no longer touching. Was this the first time he called her by her name…? “You know I’m really dying to kiss you… But not like this.”

Byleth’s cobalt eyes searched Yuri’s for a moment before they diverted to his cheek. Her confusion was swiftly replaced by bewilderment.

“You’re hurt,” she whispered as she held Yuri’s face in both hands, only now noticing his bruised skin. The warm tingling of healing magic coursing from her hands to his cheek caused sudden tears to blurry his vision. He didn’t know she could use faith magic.

“After everything I... you still...” The weight of his shame constricted his throat and he had to swallow a couple times before regaining his voice. “How can you be so kind after the way I’ve treated you?”

Relieved to see honesty in his eyes, the mercenary caressed Yuri’s cheek with her fingers after her healing was through.

“I know there is a reason for it,” she said calmly. Then, she reluctantly let go of him and leaned back against the wall, hugging her knees against her chest again. “And I’m willing to hear it.”

Yuri couldn’t believe it: was Byleth simply going to let him explain himself? She was really something else, and he wouldn’t waste this opportunity to make amends. There must be some explanation as well for why she had been with Dimitri at the tower. So he discreetly wiped his unshed tears with a hand as if checking for any makeup smudges, then retook his place beside Byleth and took a couple swigs of liquid courage. Not that he really needed it though.

“I saw you with Dimitri,” he started. No use beating around the bush, he reasoned. “At the tower, I mean. I overheard some of the things you guys said. And I just left.”

 _That explains it_ , Byleth thought. The realization of how bad that could look was only dawning on her now.

“I was angry,” the Abyssian added with regret and hurt laced in his voice. He hated how vulnerable he sounded.

“I waited for you,” Byleth revealed. It made Yuri turn toward her. “I was waiting when Dimitri arrived. He asked me to return to the ball with him, but I didn’t. I waited and you didn’t come.”

 _Stupid, idiot, moron!_ Yuri chastised himself in his mind, throwing his head back and hiding his face with one hand. He had let jealousy blind him and had made a fool out of himself. Byleth chuckled lightly and took the bottle from his other hand. They sat in silence for a long while, Byleth drinking more than was probably good on an empty stomach. He could tell she was way past tipsy already.

“I’m sorry,” Yuri finally said, still hiding his amethyst eyes from hers. Shame still burned in his chest. “I was a jerk.”

Byleth chuckled again but it sounded bitter. “Yeah… me too.”

Confused, Yuri lifted his eyes to hers and saw fresh tears forming there.

“My father, he...” She continued in a frail voice. Yuri wasn’t sure what she was getting at. “He asked to speak with me repeatedly in the days before the ball and the battle. But I couldn’t think of anything but you… I didn’t give him the time he asked of me. And that day, after the battle, I was so caught up with you that I couldn’t react when... I was a terrible daughter. And now, he...”

Warm tears rolled down her face and Byleth couldn’t say anything more. Voicing her regrets was just too painful. Yuri simply put his arm around her shoulders once more.

“What happened was not your fault, Professor,” Yuri stated in a soft but confident tone. “Regardless of what you were thinking at the moment, if you were distracted or not, Jeralt wouldn’t have wanted you to torture yourself. It was clear that you were precious to him, and a man like him wouldn’t blame you. So you shouldn’t either.”

Byleth continued crying silently, a little less bitterly as the hours went by, until she fell asleep against Yuri’s chest in a mixture of exhaustion and drunkenness. He caressed her hair gently, then tucked her in under his soft covers when he was sure she wouldn’t wake up. It took him a good measure of self-control to blow the candle and leave.

* * *

Yuri’s back was stiff and knotted from sleeping on a chair in the Shadow Library but he felt bright despite the pounding headache behind his eyes. Early in the morning, he had returned to check on the Professor but had found his bed neatly made and the room empty instead. That should be a good sign, he mused to himself. He was well aware that Byleth had kissed him but he was forcing himself to not think about it right now, as he was so mentally drained he knew he might make a bad decision. So he had taken a warm bath and made his way to the classroom for the daily lectures, trying to keep the memory of the Professor's lips against his own off his mind, although the effort had proved futile.

“Glad you decided to join us on time, Leclerc,” Byleth’s voice greeted him as he pushed the doors of the Blue Lions classroom. Even though there was still sorrow in her blue eyes, her smile was fresh and bright and her voice was teasing.

“My pleasure,” Yuri responded with a smile that matched her own as he took his usual desk at the back, where he had an unobstructed view of the Professor as she began writing on the board.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so happy that we finally reached this point! I swear I don’t hate Seteth, I actually have a raging crush on him, but he is just very easy to make the villain that I can’t resist. I also love Dimitri very much and hate making him suffer, but I wanted to develop the idea of his descent into madness and how others perceived his change in behavior. I hope I did our handsome prince justice.
> 
> Thanks for reading! You guys keep me going :)


	15. Divinus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter references the scene where Byleth catches Dimitri spying on the Flame Emperor, Monica, and Thales. If this gets confusing, I recommend reviewing it for context. I tried not to quote too much but I apologize if it gets textual. There were just so many moments that I wanted to give some insight into that I couldn’t stop myself.
> 
> The rest of the chapter references the scenes right before and after the battle at the Sealed Forest, in case you guys want to review it for context.
> 
> There was also something that I’ve been meaning to mention for the past two or three chapters. If you’ve noticed, Byleth and Sothis have had less and less interactions, compared to the beginning of the story. It’s completely intentional though. I wanted to show the transition between being two separate entities to their consciousness melding into one. I know that that technically happens when they fuse, but I thought it made more sense for it to happen gradually.
> 
> I thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy this.

Under the orange and quickly-darkening sky, Yuri waited for his target, well hidden by one of the fortified outer city walls. Even after things had gone back to normal —if  _ that _ could be called normal—his spies had kept on digging around for information about the Flame Emperor and his allies, which wasn’t much so far. That was infuriating, almost as much as the realization that, ever since regaining her composure, Byleth had pointedly ignored the fact that she had aggressively kissed Yuri. He had initially thought it would just be a matter of a few days before they returned to it, but she had just acted like nothing happened. Had she been so drunk that she forgot? No, he would’ve noticed. She must be doing this on purpose for some reason.

Or perhaps she was just too caught up in the current situation. Just like he had been, actually. He had continued spending the better part of his nights lurking around dark places, scouting and interrogating people fruitlessly. One of his best spies, however, had come across something: a lead about an encounter that was supposed to happen out here. Any minute now, if his sources had been truthful, which usually were given the sensitive methods of information extraction that he taught his people. 

Although it wasn’t his target, the lavender-haired thief noticed something interesting despite his tumultuous thoughts: Dimitri. He was hiding surprisingly well, seemingly waiting for the enemy to appear too. However had he obtained this information?

Not long after, the Flame Emperor made his appearance… Did he just come out of the monastery? Damn it, Yuri had been so caught up with Dimitri that he had missed that precious detail. Perhaps this was a trap…? Just like in the last battle, the suspicious warlock and that redhead—Monica?—followed along, materializing out of thin air. Although he was a little too far to listen in on their conversation, Yuri had a trick up his sleeve: after her concoction had almost killed him, Constance had turned one of her  _ innovative _ magical artifacts over to her leader as both a thank you and an apology. He swore he would never be seen using it in public until now, given it was a small conch. Yes, a bewitched  _ conch _ , however idiotic that was. Where the hell did she get a conch anyway? Regardless of its origin, it was infused with a spell that amplified sounds directly into your ear; all you had to do was point the object in the direction of whatever you wanted to amplify et voilà. And it actually worked, much unlike the charming serum. Yuri briefly thought Constance might just be a misunderstood genius before a flurry of blue hair caught his attention: Byleth.

What was she doing here? Dimitri’s surprised face told him they hadn’t planned to meet, so she either followed him or came out here by chance. Either way, this could get messy with how unhinged the prince had been as of late. With a hand ready on the sword at his belt, Yuri pressed the ridiculous but effective conch to his ear to switch between listening to the enemy and the Professor and Dimitri.

* * *

Throughout the day, Byleth had had the feeling that something about Dimitri was off. He had been pacing around the dining hall at breakfast before leaving without getting a plate of food. Then he had been distracted all through class. Not daydreaming like Sylvain or Mercedes; his gaze had been too focused the entire time. Just absent, his mind wandering goddess knows where. So when she saw him ignoring his dinner and successfully scurrying away from Dedue’s watchful eyes, Byleth knew she should follow him. Whatever she had expected to find was definitely not the Flame Emperor and those fiends. 

Although she wanted to make sure Dimitri was thinking straight, it was her own mind that betrayed her: her thoughts turned blood-red as soon as she saw that redhead bitch.

“It’s time for revenge,” she whispered to Dimitri with her eyes firmly trained on the enemy, her hand around the Sword of the Creator in a deathly grip.

Dimitri’s eyes widened and emotion flashed across them for a fraction of a second before he spoke. “Not yet, Professor.”

Distracted by both his words and Sothis’, Byleth stood down although her hand remained ready at her relic’s hilt.

The more the fiend triad talked, the less she understood. Wasn’t the masked one a part of the group? He seemed to despise the other two for some reason. His words had a threatening edge to them. This just kept getting more and more complicated.

“Monica,” the pale warlock addressed his companion with a scowl and that caught Byleth’s attention. “You’ve been sloppy. Haven’t you realized there is a rat hot on your trail?”

“A rat?”

“An Abyss rat,” he continued. “Some thief lord with goons at his disposal. He’s poking around  _ underground _ , asking about you particularly.”

_ Oh _ . Had Yuri been spying on them? That was unexpected, Byleth thought, although not strange. He  _ did _ have some shady connections and, if anyone could dig any information on such a secretive enemy, it was probably him. She would have to ask him about it later.

“Should I get rid of him?” Monica asked in a bored tone.

“Don’t bother,” the white-haired man instructed with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Watch your back and remain hidden until our next move.”

At that, both Byleth and Dimitri perked their ears. It would be really convenient if they were to discuss their next move right now. But of course they didn’t. They continued saying cryptic things about some defiled beast and cleansing Fódlan. This wasn’t making any sense. Why would they meet up here just to talk nonsense? Unless this was--

“I’ve got you… finally…” Dimitri’s large hands tightened around his lance, making the thick leather of his gloves squeak. 

“Wait,” Byleth halted his sprint with a hand over his. It looked tiny over it and that peculiar sight stopped him. But the softness remained in his gaze for only a second before rage replaced it.

“If we don’t act now, we’ll miss our chance!”

It was true but before rationalizing it, Byleth pulled Dimitri back as the masked emperor turned around and threw a dagger right at them. Or rather where they had been before Byleth got them out of the way.

That absurd mask made it impossible for Byleth to gauge the reaction of the Flame Emperor but the other two didn’t seem concerned at all. Or even surprised. As the warlock casually continued his talk about  _ rats _ , Byleth knew that this had to have been a trap, even if the emperor seemed to be unaware. But who were they trying to lure out? And to what end?

As the three figures warped out, Byleth thought that perhaps this hadn’t been a ploy to kill or capture anyone but rather to let them know they were watching. An intimidation tactic, perhaps. Those lowly, dirty bastards… A vision of her father’s bloodied body surfaced in her mind but, before her own blood could heat up in anger, Dimitri’s oddly soft voice shifted her attention. 

“No… the dagger...” Despite the slowness with which he picked up the object from the floor, his eyes were wild. It might be a trick of the dying sunlight but his fingers trembled as they ran along the sharp edge. He didn’t notice he cut through the leather of his glove with the motion.

“What’s wrong?” Byleth asked as she put her hand on his shoulder in a sudden surge of desperation. She felt he was slipping away  _ somewhere _ again and she meant to drag him back to her.

“It… no. Nevermind. It couldn’t possibly be so.” The weight on his shoulder seemed to bring him back to his senses. Although his next words and his disdainful tone made the Professor question exactly how much. “Professor, those are the ones we must destroy. They’re the bastards who killed my family and Jeralt.”

The venom in his eyes made Byleth flinch and release her hold on him, although he didn’t indicate he noticed.

“For now,” he continued with that detached look in his blue eyes, “let’s return to the monastery and regroup. As for the Flame Emperor’s dagger… I’ll hold on to it for the time being.”

Although she nodded, the mercenary couldn’t help her instincts urging her to snatch that blade out of his hands. But she didn’t. There was something fickle lurking beneath Dimitri’s cool façade as of late that made Byleth’s skin crawl and her senses go on full defense mode, so she couldn’t risk doing anything sudden that could trigger whatever  _ that  _ was. For now, she could only continue watching him closely in hopes that she could be ready for whatever he meant to do, although she wasn’t able to discern what it was yet.

Under a completely dark sky now, the walk back to the dorms was silent, although heavy with unsaid things. Byleth wished to reach out and pull Dimitri from his own thoughts but she doubted she could reach him. So when they arrived at the stairs that led to the second-floor rooms, she only said a half-hearted goodbye. This time, he dropped all pretense of normality and ignored her as he began climbing the stairs, clutching the dagger closer to his face.

He was a little too far already but hearing Dimitri whisper softly to the enemy’s dagger chilled Byleth’s already cold blood even more.

_ Dimitri… What is happening to you? _

* * *

“Yes, I swear…” Dimitri said in a low, pained voice. “I swear I will bring you the heads of those responsible… even if it’s…”

He trailed off as he unlocked the door to his room and stepped in. Standing in the middle of his dark quarters with that cursed blade in a tight grip, the prince felt like the walls would close in on him.

_ Byleth…  _ a voice whispered right in his ear, softer this time.

“The Professor…” He dared not say her name, although the memory of her eyes burning with bloodthirst and revenge made his heart hammer, trapped inside his chest. “She shares my ideals…  _ our  _ ideals.”

Another voice continued whispering about her power and how useful it could be for their revenge. And Dimitri swiftly agreed, although what really made his blood sing was the realization that he was falling in love with her… with his Professor, who wanted his enemies dead as fiercely as he did.

* * *

“That was weird…” Yuri muttered to himself as he rubbed a soft, damp cloth over his eyes, removing his perfect eyeliner and eyeshadow. “But what does it mean?”

“What was weird?” Balthus’ deep voice startled him a little, making Yuri poke his eye with the cloth.

“Ouch,” Yuri rubbed the area soothingly. “I didn’t see you there. Nothing, I just got some strange news from my crew. Nothing to worry about.”

“Uh-huh,” the larger man interjected from where he lay on his bed. His tone and face were disbelieving. “Been pretty busy with your crew of spies lately, huh, boss?”

Yuri smirked slightly: this is why he liked Balthus. He was sharper than his appearance and conduct let on. But he wasn’t sharp enough to poke around his business. “Yeah. Gang affairs, you know.”

“Sure. Just, huh… don’t get so caught up that you forget to take care of yourself, ‘right?”

That was unexpected. Although Yuri had barely seen Balthus around in their shared room—or anywhere else—he seemed to have noticed either the numerous nightly errands he had been running or the meals he kept missing. It was cute that he was worried, Yuri thought as he assured his comrade that he would heed his counsel.

But, turning back to the task of removing what remained of his makeup, Yuri felt that it may be a hollow promise. With the dangerous edge things had right now, he couldn’t promise in good conscience that he wouldn’t do something reckless. Even from afar, Dimitri’s little act had been a little too much to bear. He may have to keep an eye on him 24/7, now that madness was more visible in the prince’s eyes with each passing day. He wondered if the Professor was at risk with how close she was to him, although more observation would be necessary before making that assessment.

And on top of that, those bastards were already aware of his meddling. Yuri knew that, given their resources and that extraordinary magic they wielded, it was just a matter of time before they caught him sniffing around, but he hadn’t expected their reaction to be so blunt. Perhaps he should drop it for now and focus his efforts somewhere else? His instinct had been telling him for the past weeks that he may need to start preparing an Abyss evacuation and relocation plan. His spies had reported on the Empire pooling its resources as of late, weapons, arcane artifacts, and able soldiers, so things were most likely going to go south somehow. And soon. He just hadn’t figured out how yet.

_ Ugh,  _ his head was pounding. There wasn’t much to do about it all right now, so he might as well just get some sleep. As he stripped and got under his soft duvet, Yuri’s mind summoned the feel of the Professor’s lips against his own, followed immediately by the image of her hand on Dimitri’s shoulder.

“Let me sleep, dammit!” He groaned as he pushed a pillow against his face.

Balthus chuckled as he heard him toss and turn. It seemed like sleep wouldn’t come easy for the boss tonight.

* * *

Despite the sharp pain drilling into his skull, Yuri had made it on time to the morning lecture. His night had been a restless one but he had promised to show up to all activities on time. Although Dimitri had tried intimidating him into the agreement, the truth was that Yuri didn’t want to cause any more trouble for the Professor. So he would try his best to pay attention even if the sunlight through the classroom’s windows was like a lighting bolt striking right through his head.

Sitting through class had been just slightly short of an ordeal. Seeing and listening to her for a few hours was harder than expected. There was so much he wanted to say and do but he knew now was not the time. It ticked him off but he had to be patient and considerate of the situation. As he looked up to the board to try and copy the battleground diagram, he had to make a conscious effort not to stare at the Professor. Her spirits seemed lighter each day and he couldn’t risk doing anything to compromise that, especially after he had seen how broken her father’s demise had left her. So keeping a safe distance and supporting her from the shadows were his best shots, especially after the major screw-up on the night of the ball. Patience, he chanted to himself like a mantra. Patience.

Byleth dismissed the class right on schedule and made her way out quickly, not giving anyone a chance to ask or say anything to her. Yuri didn’t mind as that meant he wouldn’t be tempted to approach her. As he made his way out too, the Abyssian peeked at the calendar of duties nailed to the classroom door. He had pretty much ignored it the past few days and he may or may not have ditched an activity, so he should check now. He was sort of in a hurry as he was supposed to meet with his intel team right at lunch but his conscience wouldn’t leave him alone if he ignored the calendar again. So he took a quick look just to be safe. And of-fucking-course, he was assigned kitchen duty today.  _ Figures _ , right when he needed as much of his free time as he could get. Whatever. He would just head to the kitchen and whip or prep something up and leave the rest to his assigned partner, whoever it was. He didn’t bother checking that before heading over to the dining hall.

* * *

“Nice of you to show up, Leclerc,” Byleth’s flat tone startled Yuri as he stepped into the kitchen. “I was beginning to think you’d ditch me again.”

Yuri’s heartbeat sped just a little as he registered that she was his kitchen duty partner, if her cute apron with hearts embroidered in was any indication.

“Love the outfit,” the thief teased with a flirty smile and his amethyst gaze on her apron.

“Courtesy of Mercie,” she explained with a light blush gracing her pale cheeks. 

Yuri was close to forgetting everything at the sight but his mind wouldn’t let go of that one detail. “Ditch you  _ again… _ ?”

Byleth turned back to the tomatoes she was washing in a large bucket of water. For a moment, Yuri feared she might be referring to  _ that _ night, that stupid, cursed night of the ball.

“We’ve had kitchen duty the past few days,” she answered, still absorbed in scrubbing the vegetables. “You haven’t shown up.”

Relief washed over him at her lighthearted attitude, along with a warmth that spread from his chest throughout his body at her thinly veiled teasing. “Oh, you’ve been cooking alone? So that’s why students have been getting sick…” 

The mercenary threw a conveniently sharp turnip in his direction but his reflexes didn’t fail him and he caught it midair. So she hadn’t been avoiding him, rather he had just kept missing her. Feeling like a weight was lifted off him, Yuri washed his hands and began assisting Byleth at chopping the vegetables in preparation for the stir fry planned for the day.

“You’re skilled at this,” Byleth commented, following his hands as he sliced the cabbage and tomatoes. She was mesmerized for some reason.

“Heh, I’m good with my hands,” he retorted with a wink. As soon as he did that, though, he mentally kicked himself: he was supposed to take things easy. After what he had done, he was in no position to act so familiar with her or she might just bolt on him as she had done so many times before. And it would be justified. But Byleth simply chuckled and rolled her eyes, then moved on to toss the ingredients into the sizzling wok.

Although he tried not to come off as a show off—not now at least—the truth was that he was an excellent cook. He had started simply assisting Byleth but she had quickly let him take over once she saw the way he handled the skillet. They didn’t talk much throughout it but the silence had been companionable and soothing after such intense days. Yuri was grateful that she could be so lighthearted after everything and he wasn’t about to ruin it with an off comment. By the end of it, the meal turned out great and the mercenary looked about ready to help herself to a generous serving.

“Join me at the table?” She asked as she finished washing and putting away the kitchen utensils. Her eyes timidly avoided his. And it was damn endearing.

Yuri’s eye twitched slightly at the request. He so wanted to sit and continue spending time with her but he was already late to meet his spies back in Abyss. At his silence, Byleth’s eyes searched his face and quickly noticed his internal debate. But she didn’t push it.

“I’d love nothing more,” he said in a slightly more desperate voice than he intended. “But I have some important business to take care of right now. A prior engagement of sorts.”

“Busy lately, huh?” Byleth commented as she twirled her hair around one finger in a way that made Yuri want to reach out and bring the digit to his lips. “No worries. Just try to eat something, alright? Don’t want you collapsing on the training grounds later.”

He could feel and hear his heartbeat in his ears. Had he ever felt this way with anyone? There were so many things he wanted to say and do but right now was not the time, he reminded himself bitterly.

“You got it, friend.”

As he crossed the kitchen and made for the door, he felt Byleth shift as if she was going to reach out for him. But she didn’t. Not wanting to know if his mind was playing tricks on him, the thief made haste to Abyss for his meeting.

* * *

How could things have gone south so quickly? Yuri found himself asking that question a lot lately, and with good reason. His little meeting with his crew had taken hours and, by the time he had all the details and issued new orders, it was already past an appropriate time to go and talk to Byleth about what he had just learned. It had been important and he should’ve knocked on her door but his intention of giving her space had held him back. And boy, had he been wrong on that one! By the time he was looking for her the following day, she was already gathering the Blue Lions and making preparations to engage the enemy at the Sealed Forest.

Which was a mistake. A big mistake. He needed to talk to her immediately about what his spies had found out but that damned blond, mad hound wasn’t leaving her side. It was his fault. Dimitri had somehow found out that the Knights of Seiros were being dispatched to the forest and had argued with the Archbishop about sending the Blue Lions instead. Yuri’s intel report indicated that this was a trap to lure the Professor and Dimitri was dragging her right into it.

“Professor, I need to speak with you,” Yuri requested firmly while Byleth strapped a reinforced iron axe to her belt. It was unusual to see her choosing an axe for a battle and that spoke volumes about her mental state. “Please. It’s urgent.”

“I don’t think now’s the time,” she bit back absentmindedly, not halting her preparations. 

“It is exactly the time,” he pressed and, seeing as she didn’t even look at him, he grabbed and pulled her arm a little harder than appropriate. That caught her attention, as well as Dimitri’s. “It’s about the battle.”

“What about it?” Dimitri asked in Byleth’s stead, towering over both the thief and the Professor intimidatingly until Yuri let go of her arm. “Speak.”

“It’s a trap,” he confessed in a low voice so the other students wouldn’t hear. It made both the prince and Byleth’s eyes widen in surprise. “My best spies found out about it last night. They want to lure you to some location in the forest, arcane ruins or something, and do something to you. Obscure magic of some sort, they couldn’t figure it out.”

“What is this nonsense?” Dimitri spat in indignation. Byleth’s sharp look showed she was considering the information carefully but that didn’t stop the blond prince. “Are you trying to stop us from getting back at those who have taken so much from us?”

Yuri’s fists tightened so hard that all blood was drained from his knuckles. But he didn’t talk back. There was no reasoning with Dimitri when he was maddened as he was now.

“You must trust me,” Yuri pleaded with Byleth, trying to ignore the murderous glint in the prince’s eyes. “Don’t go.”

“Silence!” Dimitri growled and that caused all eyes to fall on the arguing trio. So much for keeping things quiet, Yuri thought. “We  _ will _ take our revenge. We will rip those fiends apart with our own hands today, paint the forest grounds red with their blood, and your idiotic banter is not going to take this chance away from us. Jeralt is asking for this, Professor. Do you not hear his voice demanding retribution?”

Seeing Byleth’s bewildered eyes, the shadow of frailty in her blue irises, made Yuri want to punch Dimitri in the face. But he stood no chance against him as he was right now, not in a clean fight anyway. And it’s not like they had time to brawl amongst themselves right now. It was up to the Professor to believe him or to get carried away by the prince’s thirst for revenge.

Byleth looked into Yuri’s eyes, then into Dimitri’s, and finally clutched the Sword of the Creator in her right hand. “Let’s go.”

Something dark and vicious, and somewhat lustful too, ignited in the prince’s blue eyes at that. “As you command.”

And with that, Byleth and her students readily walked into the trap that had been laid out just for her. Before exiting the armory, Dimitri walked up to Yuri and tried to back him into a wall. But the Abyssian didn’t budge and they ended up standing mere centimeters apart.

“If you’re going to get in the way, don’t show your face in the forest,” he growled in a low voice that chilled Yuri’s blood. Then he turned and left, not giving the thief a chance to respond.

Fear tightened its hold around Yuri’s neck to the point he felt he might pass out but he forced his heartbeat to steady. He had to remain calm and do whatever he could to protect the Professor and his naive allies. But why was Dimitri getting in the way? A sudden realization made his blood run even colder: Dimitri was being used. There was no other way, how else could he have come across the information about the forest ambush? That only confirmed his suspicion that the Flame Emperor was actually someone from the monastery or the Church.  _ Damn it all! _ As he took large and loud gulps of air, he noticed only the Ashen Wolves remained in the armory. They looked at him with a mixture of concern and fear, and surprisingly, determination too.

“What should we do, Boss?” Balthus asked. It took Yuri by surprise.

“What do you mean?” The lavender-haired man spat. “His Highness already issued the order.”

“Yes,” Hapi countered. “But we’re Ashen Wolves before we are Blue Lions. So we’ll follow  _ your _ lead, Yuri-bird.”

Yuri’s lilac eyes ran across his comrades’ faces, searching for any trace of doubt. He found none.

“Well said, Hapi,” Constance encouraged. “Give the order and it shall be done, Yuri.”

Fear suddenly released its hold and Yuri felt a sense of pride at seeing his wolves’ resolve. But right now was not the time for sentimentalities.

“Protect the Professor at all costs,” the Lord of Abyss commanded. “Do not let any of those dark mages anywhere near her. Understood?”

“You got it, Boss,” Balthus said as he and the two girls nodded. “No warlock is going to get through the Mighty King of Grappling!”

“Ugh, don’t ruin the moment, B,” Hapi complained, ripping a dry chuckle from Yuri.

“My magic will shield her, don’t you worry, Yuri,” Constance assured him with a hand on his shoulder.

As they finished adjusting their weapons and armor, they hurried to catch up with the Blue Lions. Although this was less than ideal, Yuri prayed to the goddess that his precious wolves would be able to keep the threat at bay.

* * *

Just when he thought things couldn’t get worse, they did. They always did. Yuri and his classmates stared at the empty space where Byleth had been mere moments ago before that dark cloud had engulfed and swallowed her. Nothing remained, as if she had been simply erased from existence. While Dimitri desperately bantered with Solon, Yuri’s thoughts raced through the recent events, trying to discern any details he might’ve missed.

Upon reaching the Sealed Forest, the first red flag had been the monstrous demonic beasts at the enemy’s command. The second had been the distinct lack of dark mages. If they were planning to unleash some arcane spell, surely they would need more magic wielders. And the final and most telling red flag had been the  _ thing _ that had posed as Monica this whole time: Kronya. Seeing her shapeshift into a completely different being left no doubt that the enemy had infiltrated Garreg Mach and had been pulling the strings from the inside for far longer than he had anticipated. But most importantly her taunts confirmed that, whatever magic they were planning to use, she was the key to it and the one meant to lure the Professor in. 

He had tried to steer Byleth away from Kronya, he really had. His wolves had also kept their promise to not leave her side, even despite being gravely injured. But Dimitri kept leading the charge, dragging her deeper and deeper into the forest until it was already too late. By the time Yuri’s warning about the ruins resounded in Byleth’s head, she was already in them, and Solon was making his grand entrance and burying his hand deep into Kronya’s chest. The revolting magic he had witnessed at that moment would be something that Yuri knew would haunt him till the end of his days, as well as the image and fetid smell of that darkness consuming his Professor.

“Any ideas, Constance?” Yuri asked with an edge of urgency and desperation in his voice. 

“I, uh… I don’t know. This is some dark, dark magic. I never heard or read of it, not even in the shadow library.”

“Lysithea?” Yuri turned to his other option: the young Empire mage. She wielded dark magic and was obviously a genius at it.

But something was wrong: soul-crushing terror was visible in her rose-colored eyes. Something about this situation triggered her in a way that Yuri couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Blood magic…” Lysithea muttered to herself with a tiny hand covering her mouth partially. “It’s  _ that _ magic…”

This was all wrong. He needed to do something. She couldn’t just be gone, right? There was no magic in the world that could just wish someone out of existence. There must be something to be done to bring her back. Was there even something alive to bring back…? No. Yuri shook his head as if that would dispel the dark thoughts. He needed to focus and think of something.

Solon. He was the key. He was the only one who could revert whatever he had done. As Dimitri distracted him with threats, Yuri gave Balthus a knowing look. They had been in tight situations more than enough times to be able to read each other, so Balthus had no trouble understanding that they were to try and capture that damned warlock. It was a desperate, last-ditch effort that may very well backfire but it was better than standing still.

They successfully slithered behind Solon and Yuri wondered if they were walking into yet another carefully set trap. But before he could test that theory, a blinding light and a deafening thunder ripped the sky. As he and everyone else stared in awe, the tip of a fiery blade pierced through and pried open the very air as if it was a curtain, and then, the Goddess herself stepped down onto the earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I try to avoid cheesy cliches or out-of-character instances as much as possible but I just couldn’t help myself with the conch detail. I blame it on my recent fondness of FE Heroes’ latest version of Lorenz in a purple speedo and wielding a conch bouquet, because that totally sounds like Lorenz. Whatever made me transfer that to this story is beyond me though. So I apologize if the magical conch was too much. 
> 
> I know this ran too long but there was so much about Dimitri’s and everyone’s state of mind that I wanted to say and I couldn’t shorten it. I really wanted to play with the idea of everyone’s sanity stretched thin and the fact that things just kept happening out of their control. Especially Byleth and Dimitri, one grieving her father and the other struggling with the realization that his step sister could be the enemy. I hope I made a good job at expressing that. I know I keep dragging the Yurileth moments but I promise all of this will just make it better when it does happen.
> 
> Thank you for your patience and for continuing to read, you guys keep me going. All comments and suggestions are always welcome :)


End file.
